New Love
by Drake Clawfang
Summary: Cloud has a good job, a great girlfriend and a nice apartment. Then he gets a new secretary, a woman who turns his life upside down. Before he realizes it, Cloud has fallen for her, sparking the catalyst that begins a whole new lifestyle for him. AxCxT
1. Chapter 1

New Love

Chapter 1

"Alrighty, the woman glaring at me from behind the glass tells me we're almost out of time. Hey sweetheart what's our check?" Reno lifted his head from the microphone in the small radio booth and looked through the glass at his producer. Elena rolled her eyes.

"We've got three minutes Reno," she replied.

"Great, time for one more call," Reno nodded, pumping his fist. "Alright Midgar, who out there wants to talk to me?"

"Well that's a short list," Elena snickered. Reno stuck out his tongue and hit the button for Line Two on his console.

"Yo, what's cooking doc?" he asked, sitting back and putting his feet up.

"Hi, um…this is…Steve."

"Steve, you can't tell us your real name?" Reno asked. The man on the line stuttered a bit.

"Well, I…that is…"

"Ah don't sweat it, what's the problem?" Reno muttered.

"Well, I'm…having some trouble with my…girlfriend…" Steve replied.

"She not putting out, she ugly, she a bitch, come on man talk to me!" Reno urged. "It's sweeps week and I got a kid to feed!"

"You mean a dog," Elena said into her mike. Reno flipped her off without turning his head.

"Um…she does, no, and no," Steve replied.

"Well she meets my criteria so what's your deal?" Reno shrugged, frowning. Yeesh, who the hell was this guy he had someone like that and was having trouble?

"I'm…not really sure, to be honest…" Steve mumbled. "It's just…I love her, and she loves me and we're living together and it's great and we both work and…"

"Steve, you talking to a radio host or writing your autobiography?" Reno yawned.

"Well…there's nothing really wrong, it's just…our relationship is a little…I guess the word is stale."

"Stale?" Reno muttered.

"Well, we're just really comfortable with each other, we've known each since we were kids, we hooked up in high school and…we know each other inside and out."

"Kinky. So basically, you're bored," Reno said, putting his hands behind his head.

"I wouldn't put it like that," Steve replied.

"Well I would. So here's what you do Stevie, my advice is to either find something to spice up your relationship with this apparent goddess of a woman, or call it quits. Thanks for giving me a story to help me sleep tonight." Reno hung up without waiting for a response.

"Well we're done today, this is Reno Turk signing off-"

* * *

_"-telling you all, if you see me on the streets, feel free to leave me the hell alone."_

Cloud Strife lifted his eyebrows at the DJ's trademark signoff and reached over to turn off the radio on his desk, sighing and hanging up the phone. He looked up at the clock on the wall. Another hour until he went home. He stretched back and lifted the bottom of his blue dress shirt to rub a small bruise he had gotten bumping into a desk earlier that morning.

"Alright, your afternoon coffee, and the invoice replies. Now I got faxes to send," his secretary said, entering his office and setting the items down on his desk. Cloud sipped his coffee and grimaced. Three months working here and she still hadn't gotten the blend right. He suspected she was doing it on purpose though. It was drinkable at least.

"Yuffie," he said, calling up the program for the invoices on his computer.

"Hm?" she replied, punching in the fax number on the machine.

"What do you do when the thrill goes out of a relationship?" Cloud asked.

"Break up," Yuffie shrugged, feeding the paper into the receiver. Cloud rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Alright, let me rephrase that. What should _I_ do when the thrill goes out of a relationship?"

"What?" Yuffie exclaimed, turning her head. "Trouble with Tifa? You're kidding me, the girl's a saint."

"No trouble, just a hypothetical question if I were seeing someone else," Cloud clarified. Yuffie made good usage of boy-toys she found in bars on a weekly basis. Why in the world was he asking her for help? Yuffie made a show of sighing and tilting her head back in thought.

"Well, if you were in a relationship with some _non_-Tifa woman and it had gotten boring and you don't wanna break up…lemme think," she said. Cloud waited for a moment and took another sip of his coffee. "You ever tried doggie-style?" Yuffie asked.

Cloud's eyes went wide as he sprayed his coffee across his desk and onto his computer monitor. He coughed and pounded on his chest with his free hand, putting his coffee down.

"What?" he croaked between coughs, reaching for the box of tissues nearby.

"Just asking. Sexual positions are fun if you try new ones," Yuffie shrugged. "Doggie-style, sixty-nine, screaming Nelson."

"I don't know what that last one is and don't want to," Cloud groaned, wiping off his hands and tie. "I'm serious Yuffie. Trust me, there is nothing wrong in the bedroom with me and Tifa."

"Oh, so we're done with hypothetical situations now?" Yuffie teased. "Why don't you tell me what the real problem is?

"I don't know what the real problem is," Cloud groaned. "Its just…there's something missing…"

"Heat," Yuffie nodded sagely, punching in the fax number for the next piece of paperwork.

"Huh?" Cloud asked, looking up at her.

"Heat, passion, fire, lust. I can see in those squinty blue eyes of yours," Yuffie explained, turning back to him.

"My eyes are not squinty," Cloud protested.

"Are you attracted to Tifa?" Yuffie asked suddenly. Cloud snorted and reached up to grab the picture he had of Tifa on his desk and held it up to her.

"You've seen Tifa and you're asking that question?"

"Yeah, she's hot, and if I went lesbo I'd be on her like a sneaker. But that doesn't answer the question. Are you attracted to Tifa?"

"God, yes, she's attractive!"

"I know she's attractive, but do _you_ find her attractive?" Yuffie repeated.

"What kind of question is that?" Cloud cried.

"One you've managed to avoid answering for about half a minute and counting. It's not a complicated question, Cloud. Are. You. Attracted. To. Tifa?" Yuffie said the five words Cloud was coming to hate slowly, gazing at him expectantly.

"If I say yes will you stop asking?" Cloud muttered, going back to his work

"Oh yeah, say it just to get rid of me, I'll buy that," Yuffie laughed, picking up the third and final fax.

"Okay, fine…" Cloud took a breath. "I'm attracted to Tifa. She's beautiful, stunning, and I find it funny when guys stare at us when we go out. Happy?"

"I'll believe it," Yuffie shrugged, sending the final fax. Cloud rolled his eyes and picked up an invoice. "But do you believe it?" Cloud threw up his hands and let his head hit the desk. "My cousin got a concussion doing that," Yuffie warned.

"Have I mentioned how happy I am you're getting transferred?" Cloud asked the wood of the desk.

"Five times today," Yuffie nodded. Cloud smiled. Yuffie had worked for him well enough, even if she was a little lippy. He had gotten used to their friendly banter once he realized she was just joking with him. But she had gotten transferred to an office across town and today, Friday, was her last day. Come Monday some other secretary was coming in for him. Hopefully she could brew a decent cup of coffee. Cloud comforted himself with that and took another drink of the caffeine-flavored water Yuffie had made.

"I know you'll miss me," Yuffie said, picking up the sent faxes and paper-clipping them together. "Hey, relax, I might come visit and I've heard about my replacement they're sending over. She's nice and she works hard, at least that's what Heidegger said. You'll be fine."

"Can she make coffee?" Cloud asked, tapping the edge of his mug.

"I never said I _couldn't_, I just didn't want to," Yuffie said sweetly, leaving the office. Cloud nodded at her back. Yup, figures.

* * *

Cloud unlocked the door to the apartment and pushed the door open, hanging his keys up on the hook on the inside wall.

"I'm home!" he called. Muffled music filled the small apartment he and his girlfriend shared. He shrugged off his coat and shoes and went to where he knew the source was. The apartment opened into a main room with a kitchen to the right of the door and a doorway between them leading into a hallway where the two bedrooms lay. He and Tifa slept in one, Tifa used the other as her workout studio.

Cloud pushed open the door and was silent. Tifa Lockhart, dressed in shorts and a tank top with sweatbands, was doing chin-ups with a bar nailed to the ceiling.

"Yo," he called over the bass of the music. Tifa turned her head and screamed, letting go and tumbling to the mat below with a groan.

"Cloud!" she scolded, rubbing the back of her head and sitting up. "You scared me."

"Sorry," he muttered. "How come you're still working out, you're usually done when I get home."

"I know," Tifa sighed, climbing to her feet and turning off the music. "Blame Zangan, I'm already busting my ass and he says I'm getting sloppy. He wants me ready for the exhibition and says my technique is getting too laxed."

"You spend four hours a day training here in addition to the time you spend at the dojo, how can you be getting sloppy?" Cloud thought aloud.

"That's exactly what I said!" Tifa replied, shaking her head. "He's just on edge, I dunno." Cloud nodded. Tifa worked as a part-time teacher, part-time student at a martial arts dojo several blocks away. She officially only took and taught karate and taekwondo, but under her teacher Zangan's "suggestion", she also practiced judo and yoga at home, in addition to a few other styles Cloud couldn't remember or pronounce the names to. Cloud's friend Barret had once joked Tifa could kicks his ass in a fight. Cloud would have to agree.

"Hey, come here," Cloud waved Tifa towards.

"Hm?" Tifa asked, stepping up. Cloud wrapped an arm around her waist and kissed her. Tifa put a hand on his shoulder and leaned up for a better angle.

"I missed you today," he whispered, letting her go.

"Apparently," Tifa smiled, putting a hand on his cheek. "I was thinking we could watch a movie later, there's some good stuff we can order on the TV."

"My type of movie, or yours?" Cloud asked warily.

"_Ours_," Tifa replied, slapping him on the arm.

"Meanings yours, but I'll be smart enough to keep my mouth shut."

"Shut up."

Cloud smiled and turned to leave Tifa back to her workout. Heading into the kitchen and grabbing a water bottle from the fridge, he took a long drink. A movie with Tifa. He teased but she knew enough to rent something that wouldn't bore him. Plus she wasn't into "chick" movies as Barret called them, she liked action flicks as much as Cloud did. And as a bonus, a movie meant possibly falling asleep on the couch with her, which was nice in a pseudo-romantic sort of way. Or it could lead to non-sleep related activities.

"How the hell could Yuffie think I'm not attracted to her?" Cloud said aloud. He was, he was a guy and Tifa was a good-looking woman. Cloud frowned for a moment. "So why did it take me so long to answer?" he finished. He fell silent and slapped himself in the forehead as he realized he was talking to a bottle of water. Content to let the issue die and forget about his conversation with his now-ex secretary, Cloud headed back to the living room. Hopefully whomever the company had found for him come Monday wouldn't make the office so awkward for him.


	2. Chapter 2

**Just a note, Sephiroth will certainly appear in this fic, although his appearance won't come for some time. As this is a romance story there'll be no fight scenes or anything like that, but he'll still maintain an antagonistic relationship with Cloud, just in a different way.**

New Love

Chapter 2

Cloud turned off the car and pulled his keys from the slot, getting out and slamming the door. The weekend had passed all too quickly for him. It wasn't that he hated work, but the accounts were getting harder to process lately. His boss Rufus was riding him all the time to finish even when he knew Cloud worked as best he could. There were simply times when it couldn't be done faster, but the president's son didn't listen or care. One account in particular was promising to bring in a great deal of money to the company, the Hojo account. Cloud had been seated with that one.

Heading the elevator, he hit the button to call the car and waited, yawning. He had gotten to bed late last night, mostly thanks to Tifa initiating some non-sleep related activities and not taking no for an answer. He stretched and smiled slightly. That had been a good night's sleep…the elevator dinged, bringing him from his pleasurable memories. He stepped inside and absentmindedly hit the button for the eleventh floor where he worked. Reality of having to face Rufus on a Monday morning hit and he groaned inwardly.

"Wait! Hold the elevator!" someone called. Cloud shrugged and reached forward to hit the open button, the half-closed doors stopping and opening. Someone panting ran inside the elevator. "Thanks," they said. Cloud pulled his hand back and let the doors close.

"No problem," he replied, casting them a glance. His eyes widened slightly as the glance blossomed into an outright stare. The person standing beside him in the elevator was a woman, keeping her balance with a hand on the wall as she adjusted the strap of her shoe, a simple light brown in color with a short heel. Her other hand clutched a brown file folder with several packets of paperwork and small booklets, and a small black purse slung under her soldier. She wore a bright pink knee length skirt with a white blouse and a bright red jacket underneath long, incredibly long, light brown hair, tied back with a pink ribbon and wound into a thick braid.

"Sorry, I just want to be early, it's my first day," the woman explained, lowering her foot and looking up at him with bright green eyes. "I'm Aeris," she smiled, holding out her hand.

"Hi…" Cloud murmured, taking it and shaking. Aeris' smile didn't fade but she cocked her head.

"You okay?" she asked.

"Yeah, it's just…" Cloud trailed off, still staring. Her eyes were _really_ bright…"Hi."

"Hi," Aeris giggled, taking her hand back. "Don't take this wrong, but do you have ADD? Or ADHD or something like that?"

"No," Cloud shook his head, breaking the lock between their eyes. What the hell had been doing, she'd think he was crazy or something.

"No, I'm pretty sure you've got SSAMP," Aeris insisted.

"Huh?"

"Stop Staring At Me, Psycho," she spelled out. Cloud blushed as she laughed.

"Um…you said it's your first day?" he asked, trying to break the tension over his staring fit. He never did that. Sure, he was still a man and he noticed attractive women. But he'd never stared at them like that before, not since he and Tifa had become more than friends at least. And now Aeris was liable to complain now. That was all he needed, something else for Rufus to yell at him for.

"Yup, just got transferred from the Wutai office across town," Aeris nodded. "Heard there was some high-profile clientele here they wanted me for since I was more experienced."

"Yeah, we're handling some larger cases here lately. You can handle it?" Cloud asked. Inwardly he repeated her words. Was he missing something?

"Sure, I'm used to sitting in on negotiations with the big-wigs," Aeris smiled as the doors slid open on Cloud's floor, and she moved to step off it. Cloud got off behind her. "Where's the bathroom on this floor?" she asked.

"Down that way and take a left," Cloud pointed down the hall. Aeris walked off as Cloud went the other way to his office, unlocking and opening the door and looking down at the secretary's desk. Oh right, Yuffie was gone. Cloud unlocked the second door to his office and tossed his black coat on the coatstand, sitting down and stretching again. He looked up at the clock. He was early, by five minutes. He shrugged and reached over the CPU unit of his computer and turned it on, waiting while the system booted up. The log-in screen blinked up, and Cloud pulled out the tray with the keyboard from the underside of the desk.

There was a sound from the other room as Cloud keyed in his username, and he stood up to look over the edge of the desk at the sound. There were a few muffled words, and a few more noises. Finishing his login and hitting Enter, Cloud moved from behind his desk and opened the door to investigate. In the office that was supposed to be for his secretary, Aeris had sat down, set her open purse and file folder on the desk, and was going through said items, humming softly.

"Can I help you?" Cloud asked. Aeris looked up and stopped humming.

"Oh, it's you…um…" Aeris picked up the top piece of paper from her folder. "Mr. Cloud Strife?" she asked. Cloud nodded. "Hi…well, you already know me. I'm your new secretary," she explained.

"Right," Cloud nodded, mentally slapping himself in the head. Duh, first day, transfer for high-profile cases. He knew there had been something he was missing when she told him that in the elevator. "Well, so, obviously you know me…um, need anything?"

"No thanks, just getting settled in," Aeris replied, reaching into her purse. Cloud watched quietly as she pulled out three red pens, personalized with her name in silver script, and slipped them into the small container Yuffie had left behind for her office odds and ends. She reached back into her purse and pulled out something else, leaning forward and setting it on top of her computer monitor. "And I'm done," she smiled. Cloud bent over slightly to look at the…orange, cat-thing, on the top of the monitor. He reached out and tapped its head. It shook.

"You've never seen a bobble-head before?" Aeris chuckled, going through the papers in her folder now. Cloud absent-mindedly shook his head, tapping the bobble-head's head again. Aeris frowned and took a breath. "Mr. Strife, can I be frank for a moment?" Cloud looked up. "I'm a friendly person but I also like to maintain a certain level of professionalism in the workplace. I think co-workers who are comfortable around each other work best. That in mind…if you have a problem with me, I'd like to think you'd be mature enough to say so, because I'm mature enough to listen."

"Problem?" Cloud muttered, confused.

"You were staring at me in the elevator and now you're batting at a Garfield cat bobble-head in fascination like the animal itself," Aeris explained. "I spoke to your previous secretary and she assured me you have no strange habits or eccentricities, so I'm going to have to assume you have a problem of some sort with me as a person."

"No, no no!" Cloud cried. "It's just…" he stopped himself. Okay, so he maybe he _had _been switching into autopilot around her so far. He had known his new secretary for less than half an hour and she thought he hated her. "It's…a Monday," he offered lamely. To his relief, Aeris shrugged.

"Fair enough," she sighed. "How about we start over then?" Aeris stood up and held out her hand. "I'm Aeris Gainsborough, your new secretary."

"Cloud Strife, your boss," Cloud replied, blushing slightly as she shook her hand. Well this day was off to a lovely second start.

"There. Now if you can curb your fascination with my desk decorations, maybe we can begin the work day?" Aeris asked. Cloud nodded, still put-off by a variety of things. Yuffie usually spoke to him like that, but somehow Aeris said it in a serious way. And she was still joking with him. Wait, was that even possible? "So, I have a few notes here from Ms. Kisaragi on what clients she was working with and what other forms and such she had done and to-be done. But, why don't you tell me what needs to be done?"

"Well I have some more invoice notices to be processed, you just need to input the client's name, business and account number into the PC then pass them to me so I can sign them and send them back out. That could take you anywhere from a couple hours to the whole day depending on how many came back. It's Monday, so you've probably got a weekend backlog to deal with," Cloud began. "If that's too much…"

"I'm just a transfer, I've done this sort of thing before Mr. Strife," Aeris replied. "I know what I'm doing."

"Right right," Cloud agreed. "Um, so…anything else?"

"Nope, I have all sorts of notes from your last secretary, so I'm fine. Thanks," Aeris smiled. Cloud nodded and turned to go back to his own office.

"Oh, once you're done settling in, how about a cup of coffee?" he asked.

"Well, I'm settled in now, so sure," Aeris said, standing up.

"Thanks. I take it two cream, one su-"

"Sh sh sh!" Aeris hushed him, holding up her hand. "Go sit down and get to work, I'll handle the coffee." Cloud watched as she picked up her purse and headed down the hall to the break room/kitchen. Frowning, not entirely sure he trusted her, he reluctantly entered his office and sat down. For a little over five minutes he finished entering the data from the invoices he hadn't gotten to last week, making a small dent in the pile that by the end of the day would likely be twice as big.

"Here you are," Aeris said, pushing open his door and setting a mug on his desk. Cloud picked it up and scrutinized the coffee she had brought him. It looked normal enough.

"What's in it?" he asked, looking up.

"My secret," Aeris smiled, leaving. Cloud looked back down at the brown liquid, and took a cautious sip. His eyes quickly went wide, and Cloud took a second, larger sip, the coffee was still to hot to fully drink. He stood up and pulled open the door to see Aeris already at her desk typing something.

"Wow," he said simply.

"Like it?" Aeris asked, not turning her head from her work.

"Yeah…a lot," Cloud admitted. It was the best coffee he'd ever had, better than what Yuffie fed him by a mile and a half. "How'd you make it?"

"Family secret," Aeris smirked, turning an emerald eye his way. "Now sit down and get to work, I'm making you look bad." Cloud chuckled slightly and left his new co-worker to her task. Sitting back down and taking another drink, he smacked his lips and smiled.

"Wow," he repeated, turning back to his computer. Forget half-decent, phenomenal coffee every morning. This was an adjustment he was not going to mind making.

* * *

Noon came and went, and the day quickly fell into an old routine. Aeris came in on a regular basis to inform him of phone messages, to send faxes and pass along paperwork, and he accepted them all briefly and she went back to her work. The few times he had left the office for whatever reason, she was working diligently as far as Cloud would see. Of course, Rufus took pleasure in dumping as much work on Cloud as he legally could, so the avalanche of papers in Aeris' inbox would only be back to its full might the next day, but for now she was taking that mountain down fairly quickly.

The only thing Cloud couldn't figure out wasn't her; it was him. The few times he had walked out, he tossed her a quick update on where he would be if there were an emergency, and Aeris nodded. He came back without a word. But both on his way out and back, he kept casting discreet glances at her for some reason. Aeris seemed to have immersed herself in untangling the endless sea of business red tape and thankfully didn't notice, lest he have a repeat of the elevator from that morning. And whenever she came in to deliver the fax, his own work slowed as he struck her up in conversation.

So far he knew she was a year older than him, ten months older to be exact, with a bachelor's degree in business administration and had paid for her tuition as a clerk in one of Shin-Ra's lower branches on their vast tree, doing more or less what she was doing for Cloud now, filling out paperwork and making sure the business world kept turning. The only difference was that, with the degree, "her bosses were stuffier and she got better pay", or so Aeris had joked. She lived on her own, visited her mother frequently, was unattached romantically and was hoping to eventually get an executive position by proving to those above her that she was fit and smart enough to make the big decisions, not just carry them out as told.

Cloud was feeling bad about their awkward confrontation that morning. By all accounts Aeris was sweet, respectful and a hard worker and if she quit because of him he knew was it was a big loss for him. Sure, Yuffie worked hard too, when she felt like it. And her jokes were always at his expense. To an extent Aeris' jokes were too, but for some reason they didn't bother him as much as Yuffie's did.

Leaning back and stretching, Cloud looked up at the clock. Half an hour left. He tossed a glance at the some two dozen client callback forms on his desk and decided to finish them and call it a day. Opening up the application, he started typing in the phone number and address and email.

"Mr. Strife," Aeris said, knocking on his door. Cloud looked up as she pushed it open. "You got a phone call from your girlfriend," Aeris explained, reading from a piece of paper. "She says she's staying late with Zangan tonight, so feel free to order something for dinner. She'll be home around eight."

"Thanks," Cloud nodded. Zangan must have really wanted her perfect, if he demanded she stay. "Oh, hey," Cloud called as Aeris began to leave.

"Yes?" Aeris asked, coming back in.

"Um…thanks for giving me a second chance this morning. Really, I'm not usually like this," Cloud explained.

"No problem, Mr. Strife. Like you said, its a Monday," Aeris smiled.

"Cloud," he interrupted.

"Pardon?"

"Call me Cloud. Mr. Strife makes me sound like an old man," Cloud shrugged.

"Sure thing Cloud," Aeris nodded, leaving. Cloud smiled at the quick change-up and lifted his coffee mug, his third cup of the day. She would turn him into a caffeine junkie at this rate if she kept making it so good. He finished what was left and went back to finishing his work. It may have been a Monday, but as Mondays went, today had turned out pretty good.


	3. Chapter 3

New Love

Chapter 3

"Now I'm just feeling like a total idiot, because they're all hooting and hollering at me, and Cid even flashes a ten at me," Cloud continued. Aeris was burying her face in her arm on her desk, her laugher muffled. "Then, Barret comes onto the stage and actually tries to dance with me!" Aeris' laughter continued with renewed fervor as she lifted her head.

"What did you do?" she giggled.

"I pulled off that damn wig and refused to go through with it any more," Cloud replied. "It's his bachelor party and I wasn't going to have him put the moves on his best friend!"

"How embarrassed were you?"

"Not as much as Barret was!"

Cloud joined in the laughter. He had only told the story of Barret's bachelor party a handful of times and only when called upon by one of his friends. Somehow (he was sure he was probably drunk at the time), Cid had talked him into dressing like a woman, complete with wig and perfume, and walking onto the stage of the strip club they were at. That was a night he had tried to forget many a time. Cloud stopped laughing and looked down at Aeris, who was staring at him with a strange smile.

"What?" he asked, confused.

"I think you'd make a pretty girl," she grinned. Cloud blushed, sending her into another fit of laughter. It was Thursday and they had settled into a comfortable semi-formal relationship with each other, not all that dissimilar from the one he had with Yuffie. She still called him Cloud as he asked and they spoke a lot, but otherwise she was still hard-working, except when they somehow fell into random conversation like they had five minutes ago when she mentioned being distraught over going to a friend's bachelorette party without a date. That of course had forced Cloud to top her with his own tale of woe and cross-dressing.

"Strife!" Cloud jumped as the door to Aeris' office burst open. "Where the hell is the Hirasho file, I told you I wanted it on my desk this morning when I came in!" Rufus Shinra raged, glaring at the blonde.

"Good morning to you too sir," Cloud said dryly. He had gotten through Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday without dealing with Rufus. Seemed like his luck had run out this week.

"Cut the pleasantries Strife, I want results and you haven't given them. Well?" Rufus crossed his arms and waited.

"Sir, I passed the file along to your secretary before I left last night," Aeris said quietly from the desk. Rufus finally seemed to notice her and turned his head.

"Who are you?" he asked.

"Aeris Gainsborough, I transferred here on Monday from the Wutai off-"

"I didn't ask for your life story, what was that about the file?" Rufus interrupted.

"I left it on your secretary's desk myself sir, if you'd like I can go and find it for you," Aeris explained.

"Fine, get going," Rufus ordered. "As for you, Strife, how goes the Hojo account? You know that client means a lot of money to me." As Rufus turned back to Cloud, a wide-eyed Aeris pulled a file folder from her desk and waved it at Cloud, jerking her head towards the door.

"Ah, sir, I believe they wanted me to send them a fax but the machine is broken," Cloud stammered.

"Well fix it!"

"I tried sir, I'm not sure how."

"You're useless, move." Rufus pushed Cloud aside, and Cloud watched as Aeris bolted up from her desk, file in hand, and rushed down the hall to the stairwell. Cloud sent her a small prayer and followed Rufus inside. Rufus had flipped open the panel on the top of the fax machine.

"So what's the problem?" he asked, raising his head to look at Cloud.

"The, ah, paper feeder," Cloud made up. "Doesn't work."

"Doesn't work how?" Rufus said, looking down at the rollers for the feeder. Cloud reached over and grabbed a paperclip from his desk.

"Not sure sir, just doesn't receive paper," he shrugged. Rufus rolled his eyes.

"You're useless Strife, you know that? God, I have to do everything around this place!"

"Yes sir," Cloud agreed. Rufus Shinra was daddy's son, the heir to the company with an ego the size of his wallet. Rufus had taken an instant disliking to him on his first week. Cloud had no clue why, but Rufus just liked making him miserable for some reason, making it clear that Cloud worked for _him_. And if Cloud didn't pull his weight, Rufus could quite easily call up his father and get Cloud tossed out, or he could just do it himself.

"I don't see anything wrong," Rufus snapped. Cloud leaned over and frowned.

"Maybe the circuitry is busted?" he suggested. Rufus snorted and flipped up the panel for the machine again. His boss' view temporarily obstructed, Cloud reached over and dropped the paperclip into the feeder tray. It clinked and slid onto the rollers.

"What was that?" Rufus asked. Cloud looked through the open door of his office. Aeris wasn't back yet.

"Not sure."

Rufus ignored him and closed the lid of the machine.

"Strife, the damn thing works fine," he said, looking back down the paper feeder. Cloud looked up and noticed Aeris coming back down the hall, nodding. Cloud looked back as Rufus brought his hand up.

"There's your problem," Rufus muttered, finding and fishing out the paper clip. "Figures it would be something stupid with you."

"Yes sir," Cloud droned as Rufus left his office.

"Did you find it?" Rufus demanded.

"Somehow it ended up under a stack of papers, sir," Aeris shrugged innocently.

"Good, at least one of you two has your head on right. Strife, send them whatever fax it is they want and get back to work, I don't pay you to sit on your ass and look pretty."

"Yes sir," Cloud repeated. Rufus left and Cloud waited for him to vanish into the elevator. "So?"

"I talked the secretary into letting me off easy since it was my first week." Aeris shrugged as Cloud let out a breath.

"How come you forgot it?"

"I didn't, _you_ forgot to give it to me, I found it on your desk just after you left yesterday while locking up. I had to take it home and fill out the paperwork last night, just got it in the computer this morning."

"What?" Cloud's face fell and he slapped his forehead. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"So you wouldn't feel like you do now," Aeris replied. "Relax, we're in the clear."

"Yeah, but…I screw up and you would have taken the fall…thanks," Cloud said. "Really, I mean it, Rufus is a hard-ass, he wouldn't care if you're new."

"No biggie," Aeris waved her hand. "Just don't make a habit of it." Cloud nodded. Aeris had just saved his ass and almost thrown her own in its place in the process.

"Thanks, really."

"No problem like I said, Cloud. Now, its still business hours," Aeris replied. Cloud nodded and retreated back to his office. He looked at the printout sheet of emails regarding some of the faxes Aeris had sent and called up the program to input the various responses to the deals, contracts, etc, they had sent out. The email on the Hojo account had indeed come back. He'd been dealing with them for some time now, a few months at least, and was close to closing the deal that would make all the parties involved very rich. If they could close it, of course.

The Hojo family ran a successful alcohol company in California, and state-wide were quite the high-class name. They had not expanded beyond the state however, and Rufus, after vacationing there and tasting their red wine, had made it his mission to get the Hojo name under his own. The problem was that while the company president was a small, timid man, his son who oversaw the business in actually had proven himself a shrewd negotiator and a skilled opponent in the business world. He had made it clear he saw little to gain in signing a national marketing contract with Shin-Ra and had equally little interest in doing so. Cloud had managed to convince him to consider all that Shin-Ra could provide, and if the email message in his hands was any indication, the younger Hojo had finally begun to take his offer into consideration.

Cloud smiled as he reread "I shall consider it" on the printout. Rufus would be happy to hear that. Best to tell him on Monday then, hope his good mood lasted the week.

* * *

It was two hours until the work day ended, and Cloud had just finished sending out a fax, stamping it and slipping it into the appropriate tray. There was a knock on his door, and Aeris poked her head in.

"Cloud, you have a visitor," she said. Cloud looked up as Aeris opened the door and stepped inside.

"Tifa," Cloud said, standing up. "What are you doing here?"

"Zangan sprained his ankle and ended the class early, so I decided to stop by and see you. Unless you're busy?" his girlfriend asked.

"I'm always busy, but I have a few minutes," Cloud replied, coming around the desk.

"Rufus works him like a pack mule," Aeris agreed. Tifa turned her head.

"I'm sorry, I didn't get your name."

"Aeris Gainsborough, I transferred here on Monday," Aeris said, holding out her hand. Tifa smiled and took it.

"Nice to meet you. You were Yuffie's replacement?"

"Yeah, you knew her?"

"I'm fairly certain she swiped a twenty from my pocket one day, the little klepto," Tifa muttered. The three shared a small chuckle at the thought. "So, Cloud, I just wanted to ask if there was anything you wanted me to pick up on the way home for dinner, we're a little short on supplies and I'm not in the mood for take-out two nights in a row."

"Um…let me think." Cloud thought for a moment as Aeris quietly left the two alone and returned to her desk, closing the door behind her. "Hm…how about spaghetti?"

"Sure, it's been a while," Tifa replied. "I'll grab a package."

"Great," Cloud nodded. It was a little awkward, Tifa had only come to see him at work a handful of times in the past. It wasn't that she couldn't, he was always willing to speak to her on the phone when she called for whatever reason. He just wasn't expecting her in person.

"So your new sectary doing alright?" Tifa asked.

"Aeris? Yeah, yeah she's doing great, works hard."

"She seems nice."

"She is, she's always got something witty to say."

"Huh."

The two fell back into silence for a moment. Cloud looked up at dark brown eyes and mentally fidgeted. Was there something else she wanted to say?

"So…anything else?" he asked at last.

"No no, it's just…you don't seem happy to see me," Tifa said. Cloud flinched. Ah, that was it.

"I am, you know I am, it's just…I have a lot of work," he explained.

"You said you had a minute."

"I lied. You're my girlfriend, I'm not just going to give you a cold shoulder," Cloud rolled his eyes as if that information should have been obvious. Tifa bit her lip and walked up to Cloud's desk.

"Cloud, we love each other, and we're in a relationship. I like to think I can be honest with you about anything, and I'd like to think you'd say the same about me. You don't have to lie."

"I…" Cloud trailed off. Well, he _had_ just admitted he had lied. "I just didn't want to tell you to go away. You're my girlfriend and we both work a lot, if you have a break from that you should be able to come see me if you want to."

"But I don't want you to compromise yourself. I wouldn't do that to you if you came to the dojo. We're equals Cloud, always have been," Tifa said. Cloud lowered his gaze to his desk. Why did he feel like he was missing something again?

"I know that, I just…" Damn, and it wasn't a Monday like it had been with Aeris earlier that week. "Sorry."

"It's okay, I'm just teasing you," Tifa smiled, reaching over to rub his shoulder. "You've been acting a little off lately when you come home. If there's anything wrong, I think you'd come and talk to me about it."

"I would, but there's nothing wrong," Cloud said, serious this time.

"Okay then. I'll go and pick up dinner." Tifa reached up to tap Cloud on the nose and smiled as she left. Cloud leaned back in his seat and took a breath. Where had that come from? He hadn't been acting any differently, not that he'd noticed. But then if he hadn't noticed, wouldn't that itself be odd, that he was acting strange and not realizing it?

"Cloud?"

The man jumped and looked up to see Aeris standing in front of his desk. In his trance he hadn't even noticed her there. "You okay?" she asked. Cloud thought for a moment. Come to think of it, he'd been spacing out a lot lately, thinking about work more often, and not just because of the Hojo client he was close to nabbing. Tifa had caught him staring off into space twice last night. Was she right after all?

"I think so."


	4. Chapter 4

**I apologize for the late update. The last couple weeks, I've been settling into my first job, and unless they fire me (which I hope they don't), that means updates may become a little more erratic. However, I pride myself on updating at least once a month, so I promise you that you won't wait any longer than that.**

New Love

Chapter 4

"You told her the bachelor party story?"

"Yup," Cloud nodded, bending over and measuring the shot. He jerked his cue forward and knocked the five ball into the side pocket of the pool table. Standing and smirking at Cid and Barret on the other side of the table, he moved over and lined up the next shot.

"Wow, you've known 'er a week and she's got ya more tightly wrapped aroun' her finger than Tifa does," Barret said. The three were clustered around the pool table of a bar a few blocks down from Cloud's apartment with Tifa. Once Barret had gotten married and Tifa had moved in with Cloud, the three had made a pact to meet for pool and drinks every Saturday to ensure they never strayed too far apart. They had met in college, Barret and Cloud had been students, Cid a younger instructor. Younger was relative, he was still ten years older than them.

"No way," Cloud replied, shooting and missing the twelve ball. Cid took the cue and looked for a shot. "I am not wrapped around her finger in any way."

"You know 'er for a week and tell 'er that story, you've known Vincent for three months and haven't told 'im a thing," Barret said. Vincent was a client of Cloud's that had become friends with him during negotiations. They spoke now and then, but Vincent was the quiet type and usually didn't have much to say.

"Well Vincent's not that type of person, if I told him that story he'd just look at me like I was an idiot."

"Ya know what I mean," Barret insisted. Cid aimed and took his shot, sinking the ten ball.

"Ya know, this is fascinating, but there's one key aspect of this new secretary you haven't shared," Cid said, taking the next shot.

"What?"

"Is she hot?"

"Cid, she's way too young for you," Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Fuck off, I'm only thirty five!"

"And she's twenty five."

"It could still work!"

"So, is she or not?" Barret asked, getting them back on track. Cloud thought for a moment.

"Yeah, I guess she's hot," he shrugged.

"Scale of one to ten?" Cid asked, missing his shot.

"Um…seven and a half?" Cloud muttered.

"Shit, now I _gotta_ meet this woman," Cid grinned.

"Why are we talking about my secretary anyway?" Cloud asked.

"Because you brought 'er up," Barret said, taking the cue from Cid.

"I did?"

"Yup, talkin' about how she pulled your ass outta the fire." Barret reminded, leaning over to shoot.

"Well it was sweet of her, Rufus would have chewed me out more than usual if he had found out, and she took the risk for me. I'm just sitting there telling her the bachelor party story and the next thing I know she's covering for my screw-ups."

"I still can't believe you told her that story…I'm surprised she hasn't disowned ya for it, her or Tifa," Cid grumbled. "What did Tifa think of that anyway?"

"Um…not sure," Cloud said. Cid and Barret looked up.

"What, ya tell your secretary the story, but not your girlfriend?" Cid cried.

"Well it's embarrassing."

"Not embarrassing enough to tell your secretary."

"Whatever. Let's just play."

Barret missed his shot, and Cloud grabbed a second cue from the wall and took his own.

* * *

"See ya!" Cloud waved as Cid and Barret drove off. They lived within a few blocks of each other, so Cid gave him a ride. Cloud's apartment with Tifa was a few blocks in the other direction, and he had opted to walk that night. Whistling softly as he started down the sidewalk, Cloud enjoyed the night. Cool, a little humid, and a soft breeze with a bright moon. The streets were mostly quiet, there weren't a lot of lowlifes around the neighborhood and people stayed out of trouble. He stopped at the curb at a stoplight and waited for it to change.

"Cloud?"

Cloud turned his head. Aeris finished walking across the street in the other direction. She had seemingly abandoned her skirt and blouse combination to don a pair of blue jeans and a light red blouse under her matching jacket. A small pink tulip had been tucked into her hair.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud asked, surprised to see her outside the office.

"I was just visiting my step-mother," Aeris replied, turning and gesturing down the street she had come from. "How about you?"

"I live around here," Cloud said. "Just down at the apartment complex down there." He pointed, and Aeris followed his finger.

"Oh."

"So you were visiting your mother?" Cloud asked. The light changed, and he began walking. Aeris followed him across the street.

"Step-mother. My real mother died when I was a kid. Dad got shot in a drive-by when she was pregnant."

"Oh…sorry," Cloud muttered, looking away.

"It's alright. I miss them, but Elmyra was as good a mother as I could have hoped for. She taught me to love flowers." Aeris lifted a hand to brush against the tulip blossom stuck through her hair.

"Flowers?" Cloud asked, looking up at the blossom.

"Yup, she has a gorgeous garden in her backyard, grows all sorts of flowers. I loved playing there when I was a kid. It's still nice, but now I come around to help her take care of them more than to run around the grass giggling." Cloud smirked at the mental image.

"There was one time, I was just eleven years old. Have you ever been down Robin street, seen the old broken down church?" Aeris asked.

"I've heard of it," Cloud nodded. There was a dilapidated old church down the one street, a preacher had been caught stealing money from the church funds and a particularly fanatical worshipper set fire to the building with him inside. That, so he had heard, was over twenty years ago. The church had long since been abandoned, the people of the community didn't bother with it, and the city didn't want to tear it down because there was really no point in rousing so much ire from the religious groups just to put up a new house. So pretty much everyone was content to let it collapse into its own foundation one day.

"I went wandering in there one day. It was horrible, there were mice everywhere, it was dusty, most of the stained glass windows had shattered or become caked with dirt. There were empty beer bottles and garbage and half-eaten food from the keggers and homeless people that had come through, and the pews were rotting away. It was so depressing, because you could tell it had once been so beautiful…" Aeris sniffed slightly. "It looked so ghastly, the first time I went in there."

"What did you do?" Cloud asked softly, not liking the watering eyes she was blinking away.

"I went back to Elmyra and showed her the church and asked if we could have someone fix it. I didn't want it to stay that way, but she told me the story of how it burned down and said no one wanted it anymore. Too many bad memories were connected to it. So I decided if no one else wanted it, it could be mine then." Aeris smiled as she continued. "I got a ladder and cleaned all the windows, I moved the pews back into position, even the ones falling apart. I got half a dozen trash bags and cleaned up the garbage, I took a broom and a dustpan and swept the old floorboards and carpets. Elmyra wasn't all that keen on what I was doing, but it kept me busy for a couple weeks. Every day I'd come home from school, finish my homework and head off to clean the church. I had to bathe every night because I came home so filthy."

"When I was finally finished, two weeks later…it was lovely. Oh sure, it was nothing like what it had probably used to be, but it was still far better than what it had been. I showed Elmyra again, and she just smiled and told me "you know this makes it yours now, right". I didn't really get it at the time, what she meant. But I kept going back, I would play in the hall, bring snacks and read. I eventually started exploring more than just the main hall, and found a few things to take back there. Pictures, carpeting. I haven't really done anything more than visit since I graduated high school, and I know college kids and homeless people still go in there. But, in a very real way…it's _my_ church, you know? I may not own the official deed, but it's mine, in every way. I love that place."

"It sounds great," Cloud admitted.

"It is. You should go over and see it sometime," Aeris said, looking up at him. Cloud looked back, and she smiled.

"Is this your place?" Cloud turned his head to see his apartment complex. He had been so engrossed in her story he hadn't noticed how far they had walked.

"Yeah…see ya Monday then?" he asked.

"Sure," Aeris nodded. Cloud turned and headed up the stairs to the front doors. "Wait, hold on!" he stopped and turned as Aeris walked up to him, pulling the tulip from her hair and pulling a stray strand of brown hair from its stem. "Here, for Tifa," she said, holding it out to him. "Rules of courtship state a man has to bring his girlfriend a flower when he's out late at the bar."

"There are rules for courtship?" Cloud asked, taking the flower.

"Yup, all women know them."

"What about men?"

"You break those rules, and then we get to yell at you for it." Cloud rolled his eyes as Aeris hopped down the steps back to the sidewalk. "See ya!" she waved, walking down the street. Cloud waved back and looked down at the flower, twirling its stem between his fingertips. He shrugged and headed inside, unlocking the door and heading to the elevators. An old woman with a cart and a teenager pumping his head to the sound of a headphone speaker in his ear were waiting with him as the doors opened.

The three rode the car up, and Cloud got off on his and Tifa's floor. Unlocking the door of the apartment, he headed inside and locked it behind him. The TV was on, and as he entered the living room he noticed Tifa asleep on the sofa. He watched the TV, one of those crime shows, CSI or Law and Order or something. Tifa watched them, he wasn't interested. Leaning down, he picked her up and moved down the hall. Tifa shifted in his arms and slowly opened her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she murmured sleepily.

"You fell asleep, just moving you to the bed," Cloud replied.

"Mmm-kay," Tifa turned her head aside and let out a soft sigh as Cloud entered the bedroom and lay her on the bed and blankets. Turning to leave, he looked down and remembered the flower Aeris had given him. Smiling at the memory of her "rules of courtship", he turned back and placed a kiss on Tifa's forehead, laying the tulip on the nightstand beside her. Tifa murmured something indecipherable as Cloud left the room, closing the door behind him.

Heading back to the living room and sitting down on the sofa, he grabbed the remote and called up the guide function for the TV. Flipping through the digital pages, he quickly found nothing but talk shows, informative programs and general crap. Sighing and turning the TV off, Cloud leaned back on the sofa and closed his eyes. Tifa had had the right idea. At least he took her into the bedroom, although in her current position there was no room on the bed for him.

Yawning, Cloud remembered the small flower Aeris had given him for her, and smiled as he drifted off.


	5. Chapter 5

New Love

**Okay, before we get carried away with the Cleris, remember – there's Cloti in this story too. This chapter explores Cloud and Tifa's relationship more.**

Chapter 5

A beam of sunlight met Cloud's eyes as he blinked awake, and he sat up out of the glare, yawning. Why were the curtains open? He turned to see them drawn, and rolled over to see where Tifa was. He cried out as he hit the carpeted floor, and remembered he had slept on the sofa. He climbed to his feet, and a small note on the table caught his eye. Cloud picked it up, wincing slightly..

_Sorry for the bed last night, hope you slept well. I'm leaving early, have to meet Zangan and forgot to tell you yesterday. Be home after noon._

_Tifa_

Blinking a few more times and putting the note down, he looked over at the clock above the TV. Nine am, Sunday morning, and thanks to the sun he was awake. Now what? Cloud sighed and moved into the bedroom to get changed for the day. Tossing his clothes in the laundry hamper, he pulled open his drawers and grabbed a random T-shirt, not really caring which one, he wasn't going out anywhere today. Tifa usually ran the errands on weekends, she got help from him occasionally but otherwise she preferred to do it herself. Cloud smiled. Tifa had always been adamant about establishing her independence, and even when she asked for help she'd deny needing it. It was just how she was, she had been as long as he had known her back when they were kids.

Cloud had been Tifa's neighbor since they were little, but he had never really known her that well for the first few years. When Tifa was seven, her mother died and Tifa had ended up distancing herself from her friends. Cloud had ended up waking up one night listen to Tifa crying in her room. Leaning out to ask her why, they had ended up talking across the alley between their houses. He had walked to school with her the next day, doing her best and try and make her happy instead of crying. It had worked eventually, and Tifa called him her best friend for sticking by her through the grief a few years later when they looked back on the moment.

They had been friends through the years, until the first year of sixth grade. Then, something changed. Thinking back, Cloud wasn't really sure which of them changed, or if it was just both of them. Suddenly, the innocent hand-holding while watching a movie, wasn't so innocent. Going to the movies together seemed more mature. Then, of course, there was that day in April…

* * *

_Tiny electronic beeps filled the air around the backyard, and Tifa pulled her knees closer to her chest on the patio chair on the large porch behind her house. Beside her, leaning against the wooden support beam of the porch and sitting on the railing, Cloud narrowed his eyes and hammered on the buttons of his Gameboy._

_"Come on, come on…gotcha, Big Key!"_

_"Cloud," Tifa started, turning her head to face him._

_"Yeah?" Cloud asked, jerking the Gameboy left as he stared at the screen._

_"I want to talk to you for a minute," Tifa said._

_"I'm listening," Cloud kept playing but turned an eye her way for a moment. Tifa took a breath. This was important…_

_"I…I kissed Reno today…" she explained._

_"Kissed him?" Cloud frowned and growled, lifting his game into the air. "Isn't Reno the guy with the filthy shirt and the red hair?"_

_"Yeah, he walks around with the Walkman all the time," Tifa said._

_"So why'd you kiss him?"_

_"I…I wanted to know what it was like. Reno said it's good with the right person, so I guessed he had done it before."_

_"Was it good?" Cloud lifted an eye from his Gameboy, and watched Tifa scrunch her face up._

_"Not really…his lips had a really gooey stuff on them, and his nose was pressed up against mine and it hurt."_

_"Well I guess he wasn't the right person then," Cloud shrugged, turning back to his Gameboy. Tifa bit her lip and nodded, and the porch went silent again but for the beeps and music of the game._

_"Cloud…"_

_"Huh?" Cloud didn't up._

_"Cloud."_

_"What?" he repeated, annoyed._

_"Cloud."_

_"What?" Cloud looked up at her in frustration, and his eyes went wide as Tifa leaned forward and kissed him. Cloud waited for a few seconds as Tifa held the kiss, then pulled back. Cloud blinked at her as Tifa turned away and blushed._

_"How…was that?" Cloud asked._

_"Better," Tifa replied, turning back and smiling._

* * *

That had just been the beginning. A few small kisses here and there outside of school…then during school…then during dates. Looking back Cloud wasn't really sure when they'd crossed that line, from friends to a couple, but he'd first realized it the night of his high school graduation. That night had been the first time…Cloud smiled slightly and shook himself out of his nostalgic haze, turning back to getting dressed. Pulling on a pair of jeans, he walked out of the bedroom and back into the living room.

He had gone to college after high school, picked up a few classes, not really sure what he wanted to do with them though. He had eventually gotten his associate's degree in business and with it, gotten a job at Shin-Ra. Tifa had talked about going with him, but in the end she hadn't. She had chosen to work at her instructor's studio, to be Zangan's assistant as well as his pupil. They had moved in together once Cloud finished getting his degree.

Life since then had been fairly stable. Tifa worked out with Zangan making a little money on the side while Cloud did his duties at Shin-Ra. He wasn't entirely sure what Tifa planned to do with her skills, and she had admitted she didn't know either. But she was happy to be doing it, and he in turn…Cloud frowned. He hadn't really thought about it much, actually.

Sure, Rufus gave him a hard time, but he gave everyone a hard time. The pay was fine, the work wasn't hard, and when it was difficult he didn't mind because he liked a challenge. His relationship with Tifa was fine, his life in general was fine. Then again…it was about three months ago.

* * *

_Cloud was sitting on the sofa reading while Tifa leaned against him watching a movie. Cloud wasn't really paying attention but looked up now and then._

_"Cloud?" Tifa asked softly._

_"Yeah?" He replied._

_"Are you happy?"_

_Cloud lowered his book and gave his girlfriend a weird look._

_"What do you mean?" he replied. "Why would I not be happy?"_

_"I don't know, why would you be?"_

_"I don't know."_

_"Well…yeah, I'm happy."_

_"Mm-kay."_

_Tifa turned back to the movie, and Cloud looked down at her for a few moments. What had she meant by that?"_

* * *

That night hadn't made much sense to him. Sure, things could be better, but they weren't terrible. Cloud was happy enough, he wasn't _unhappy_. So why had Tifa asked him that? A little irritated with himself for bringing up the memory, Cloud sat down on the sofa and grabbed the TV remote, flipping it on.

"Look, the fact is, most of the men out there are just pig-headed perverts, and the rest of them are gay."

Cloud's face scrunched up at the cheering of the crowd on whatever talk show he had turned on, and changed the channel.

"We sauté the meat for a little bit, now while we let that cook we move on to the potatoes. Slice them thinly…"

Cooking. Well at least it would provide background noise while he checked out the other stations. Cloud called up the search function and flipped through the digital guide.

_"I wonder what types of shows Aeris watches," _he thought to himself, settling on Discovery Channel and a program about skyscrapers.

* * *

"You're leaving your left side open…now you're leaving the right open!"

Tifa grimaced and struck the punching bag again, lifting her leg, turning and hitting the side of the bag with three swift kicks. A hand wrapped around her ankle and pulled, and Tifa fell back onto the mat.

"And you weren't paying attention to your surroundings," Zangan lectured, looking down at her with crossed arms.

"Well I wasn't expecting you to do that," Tifa grumbled, getting up.

"Poor choice of words! A warrior must be prepared for an assault at any time! You of all my students Tifa, should know how I expect the martial arts to be performed – perfectly or not at all."

"I do, Zangan, I do…" Tifa sighed, bowing. "I just have a lot on my mind is all."

"Weight on the mind does not add weight to strikes. You cannot be distracted Tifa, we leave shortly and you must be ready to perform for the masters at your best."

"I will be, Zangan."

Zangan backed up and extended a hand.

"Strike me," he commanded. Tifa lifted her head.

"What?"

"Do as I say, and strike me!" Zangan barked.

Tifa gave him an odd look, but lunged. Two fists shot forward, and Zangan parried the blows easily. Tifa spun into a kick, and Zangan ducked and grabbed her ankle again, flipping her around and back to the mat. Tifa groaned as she landed on her stomach.

"Two months ago you countered the same move easily and knocked me to the ground," Zangan muttered. "Explain, Tifa."

"I…" Tifa sat up and took a breath. "It's just…Cloud."

"Has he been causing you stress?" Zangan asked carefully.

"No, no…at least not on purpose. He's just been getting really distant lately. He's always staring off into space."

"Well, what's changed recently that he would be feeling this way?"

"Nothing I can think of…he's got a new secretary, that's about it."

"Is she horrid to him?" Zangan asked. Tifa shook her head.

"No, I've met her. She seems sweet and he says they get along well."

"Perhaps they get along _too_ well…" Zangan mused, narrowing his eyes. Tifa looked up at him.

"What? No, no! Cloud would never cheat on me!" she cried. "Zangan, you've met Cloud, how can you say that?"

"Is it so impossible? I am not saying he's not a good man, but all the same, you can never be sure of these things."

"I am with Cloud," Tifa said harshly. "He loves me, he wouldn't ever do anything to hurt me."

"At least, not on purpose," Zangan echoed. "Tifa…you know I am only looking out for your best interests, and if there are problems in your personal life affecting your training, you should alleviate them. Speak to him about your concerns."

"I've tried…he doesn't know what I'm talking about." Tifa climbed to her feet and sighed. "I've known him his whole life and he doesn't understand that I don't understand him…maybe he's not as complicated as I think."

"Or maybe, more…go home. Spend time with him, and return Monday." Zangan said.

"Zangan-"

"This is not up for debate Tifa, nor is it a punishment," he cut off, turning to enter his office.

"Then why does it feel like one?" she muttered as his door closed. Sighing, Tifa walked off the mats and grabbed her purse and shoes from the side bench. Pausing for a moment, she sat down and pulled her cellphone from her purse, dialling.

_"Hello?" _Cloud answered.

"Hey. I've um…got a headache, so Zangan's sending me home," Tifa replied.

_"Oh, okay. Hope you feel better when you get here."_

"I think I will," Tifa nodded. "Hey…Cloud?"

_"Yeah?"_

"I love you."

_"I love you too. Tifa, everything okay?"_

"Yeah, I'm fine," Tifa answered truthfully. "I'll see you in a bit." She waited to hear the click of Cloud's line before she snapped her phone shut.


	6. Chapter 6

New Love

**Just FYI, this past Sunday I turned 20. Woot!**

**Sorry for the delay, but as compensation, this chapter has plenty of Cleris to please you, dear readers. Enjoy!**

Chapter 6

"Why would you want to get to know her?" Cloud asked, a little off-put.

_"Well you said she's nice, and I don't have the same circle of friends I did a few years ago. Come on, what can it hurt?" _

"Well it's weird, I mean, you never invited Yuffie to dinner," Cloud said, leaning back slightly.

_"That's because I'd met her at the office," _Tifa replied. _"I've only said hello to Aeris, but she seems like a nice woman. Just ask her, for me."_

"Okay, I'll ask." Cloud hung up the phone and stood up, pushing open the door to his office. "Aeris?"

"Yeah?" she said, typing on her computer.

"Uh…Tifa was wondering…if you'd, wanna come over for dinner some night?" Cloud mumbled. Aeris looked up.

"Well, sure, I'd love to. When?" she asked.

"Um…Thursday?" Cloud said. That would give her tomorrow to rethink her decision.

"Sounds good, what are we having?"

"What do you like?"

"Pasta, whichever kind. If that's not too much trouble, at least."

"No, no, pasta's fine. I'll let Tifa know."

"Great." Aeris beamed, and Cloud nodded at her, turning and heading back into his office. He sat down and resumed his work before Tifa called, and vaguely registered the muffled sound of a door opening.

"Oh my god, what are you doing here?"

"Geez, you sound happy to see me."

"Of course I'm happy! What's up?"

"Need your opinion asap, girl. Got the dresses in."

"Aw, come on, not while I'm working!"

Cloud lifted his head and stood up, opening his office door. A girl about Aeris' age in blue jeans and a puffy blue blouse was standing in front of his secretary's desk. A large bag with something green and blue inside it was in her right hand.

"Uh, hello?" he muttered, confused. The girl in the blouse turned to him and grinned.

"So _this_ is the cute blonde boss you told me about!" she laughed. Cloud raised an eyebrow as Aeris' face turned red. Cute?

"Rinoa!" she hissed. Rinoa rolled her eyes. "Cloud, Rinoa Heartilly, we went to college together," Aeris explained. Rinoa grabbed Cloud's hand and shook it.

"Hi," she said. "Soooo, you're a guy. You don't mind if I ask you a question do ya?"

"Um…no?" Cloud replied.

"Great." Rinoa brought up her right hand, showing off a large clear plastic bag. "Do ya think Aeris would look good in this?" Cloud turned his attention to the dress in the bag. It was a sleeveless dark green with thin straps and a figure-hugging shape, with the torso of the dress decorated with crossing dark blue straps. The material looked like silk or satin, he wasn't sure.

"Why?" he asked.

"It's the dress she wants for the bridesmaids at her wedding next month," Aeris grumbled. "Except I look horrible in green."

"Oh please, Rydia doesn't mind it!" Rinoa tossed over her shoulder.

"That's because green is Rydia's color, you could toss a green garbage bag on her and she'd make it work! What does Garnet think?"

"She's the maid of honor, she helped me pick it out!"

"Oh great, I'm overruled."

"So, what do you think?" Rinoa asked, turning her attention back to Cloud. Cloud looked back and forth between Aeris and the dress a few times, then shrugged.

"Sure, she'd look okay in it, she looks good in what she's wearing now, what's the big deal?" he said. Rinoa lowered the dress and cocked her head with a grin.

"_Aaaaaaaaaw, _he _is_ cute! Aeris, you said he has a girlfriend right?"

"Yes."

"Damn."

"Rinoa you're engaged!"

"So? Until that ring is on my finger I'm technically still on the market."

"Um…can I go now?" Cloud mumbled, feeling out of place between the two women.

"Yes, shoo shoo shoo, we've got girl stuff to talk about now!" Rinoa urged, lighting pushing him back into his office.

"Are you sure this can't wait until my break, I'm working," Aeris groaned. Cloud looked down at his watch.

"Actually Aeris, your lunch starts in three minutes," he said. Aeris whirled her head around to shoot him a venomous glare, and Cloud vaguely heard what could be a growl. He visibly flinched.

"Goooood, bye bye!" Rinoa closed his office door, and Cloud found himself staring at grey-blue paint. Rolling his eyes, he sat back down at his desk.

"Alright the guy is gone, spill it, what's your problem?"

Cloud lifted his eyes at the sound of Rinoa's muffled voice through his door. It wasn't his place to eavesdrop, it really, really wasn't…Cloud tried to turn his attention back to his computer. It didn't work.

"What problem?" Aeris' voice replied.

"You've been against taking part in the wedding ever since I asked you to be a bridesmaid, why? Do you not like Squall?"

"You know I think Squall's great…come on, you know Yuna is willing to take my place, just swap her in for me."

"Yeah, except I didn't ask Yuna, I asked you. Aside from Garnet you're my best friend, why is this so hard for you?"

"Well…come on Rinoa, I'll go and we'll all go, and I'll end up sitting at our table alone during the whole reception watching you four dance with your boyfriends, until depression and pressure land me at the bar."

"Oh hello Mrs. Merry Sunshine, so nice of you to join us."

"I'm serious, if I had a boyfriend I'd be all for it, but I don't wanna end up being a wallflower on your big day, I feel bad enough not wanting to take part because of that."

"Well it's still more than a month away, we can find you a date, we know lots of great single guys! How about…oh, how about Zell?"

"No."

"Um…Kain?"

"I met him through Rydia and we exchanged two sentences. No."

"Oh, I know, Irvine!"

"_God _no."

"Well come _on _Aeris, there's gotta be someone we know that'll take you. Who do you know that's hot, just think for a second."

"Rinoa…you know that's just not how I approach relationships. I'm not just going to approach a random guy with a cute smile and ask him on a date."

"Why the heck not?"

"You know that's not what I want, and I'm sorry but that's just how I feel. You know I have trouble meeting guys."

Cloud vaguely registered some mumbling from Rinoa in his office, digesting this new information a bit at a time. He knew Aeris was single, but he didn't think she let it get to her like this.

"Well, alright, we'll worry about the man problem later. Is the dress okay?"

"The dress is fine, but green really isn't my color."

"Alrighty then, I'll bring yours over tomorrow and we can sort out the boyfriend problem later. See ya!"

Cloud heard the door close to Aeris' office, and a squeak. A moment later, his office door opened.

"You said it before, it's my lunch now, so I'm heading off," she said.

"You have trouble meeting guys?" Cloud blurted. Aeris stopped turning back around.

"You…overheard that huh?" she muttered. Cloud blushed and lowered his head.

"I didn't mean to overhear anything."

"It's okay…yeah, it's not easy for me," Aeris sighed. "You know me, I'm not anti-social or anything at all like that…the bar and singles scene just isn't my thing. There's plenty of decent guys out there I'm sure, but the problem is most of them are busy being decent and keeping out of trouble so you never notice them."

"Hm…" Cloud mused. "So you mean you've never had a boyfriend, you can't meet anyone?" Aeris shook her head.

"Well…there was a guy years ago…" she admitted.

"Yeah?" Cloud prodded. Aeris looked up at the ceiling.

"Zack and I met in high school. I wasn't a social butterfly back then, still not. Zack wasn't really anything special at first glance, I guess. He played on the basketball team and was a bit of a math wiz but failed history. He just came over to me in the cafeteria one day and asked me out. I didn't know why, but I knew he was a nice guy from all the talk about him, so I said yes."

"So what happened?" Cloud asked, standing up.

"Well…I asked him why he took me out. He said he didn't know. He said I was pretty, but there were prettier girls, and that I was smart but he knew there were smarter ones too…"

"He sounds like a charmer," Cloud said dryly.

"He did that a few more times, then just shrugged and said 'so I guess I picked you because I wanted the whole package'," Aeris finished. "I was so embarrassed, he was almost making me mad and then pulls something like that. He _was_ a charmer, he really was. I rarely got mad at him, and when I did he always did or said something to snap me out of it, and I knew he did it just to bring me back but it always worked."

"Did you love him?" Cloud asked. Aeris lowered her gaze and sighed.

"I…I think, maybe I did. I really did care for him, no doubt. He was…my first."

"Yeah, you said he was your only boyfriend."

"Um, no…my _first_," Aeris emphasized. Cloud blushed again, and wondered why he was doing that so much today.

"Ooooooh…." He replied. "That kind of first."

"Yeah, that kind," Aeris agreed.

"So what happened?"

"Well, when we graduated, he went to a university out of state, and I stayed here. We kept in touch of course, he came to visit now and then, and we exchanged a lot of email. Then, he visited a little less, and one day we just ended it. It wasn't like one of us just said 'it's over', it just happened. I'm not sure what happened to him, I kept sending him emails, but he never replied…he probably just found someone else…"

Aeris bit her lip and closed her eyes. Cloud made a face at the sight, and moved across the office to her. The secretary opened her eyes and looked up at him as he wrapped an arm around her shoulders in a half-hug.

"Hey, his loss, right?" he said softly. Aeris smiled.

"Yeah…I guess."

"No guess. You're pretty, intelligent and funny. Any man would be happy you call you his."

"You're serious?"

"Damn straight. I'm a guy, we kinda know when a girl is a good catch," Cloud reminded. Aeris chuckled slightly.

"Thanks…Cloud."

"No problem."

Aeris smiled up at him, and Cloud moved his other hand up to her shoulder. Her eyes almost glowed neon as she stared up at him, and Cloud found himself unable to look away. Aeris, to his relief or confusion, he wasn't sure which, seemed to have the same problem, her smile slowly fading. Suddenly, her lips moved, but Cloud missed what she said.

"Huh?"

"Phone."

"Wha?"

"_Phone_," Aeris repeated, looking past Cloud. Cloud suddenly registered the sound of his telephone ringing, and pulled away.

"Um, yeah, thanks um…" he stammered, rushing to pick it up. Aeris lowered her head. Her hair wasn't in its typical braid today, and it cascaded down her shoulders to cover her face. Cloud watched, mesmerized, even as his hand clutched the receiver.

"Yeah…I'm gonna…go to lunch," Aeris mumbled, rushing out the door. Cloud lifted the phone receiver to his ear.

"Strife, what the hell is the deal with the paperwork for the Hopkins account? I could get more legible writing from a monkey! Get your ass up to my office and deciode this babble!"

Cloud didn't truly listen to Rufus' complaining, his eyes fixed on Aeris' figure moving down the hall away from him.

"_What…just happened?"_


	7. Chapter 7

New Lov 

Chapter 7

"Smells good," Cloud called from the sofa.

"It's not even half-ready," Tifa replied, stirring the sauce. "You're sure she said pasta?"

"She said she _likes_ pasta, she didn't ask for it," Cloud corrected, flipping the channel.

"Same difference."

"Whatever. Why are you so frantic, we're entertaining my secretary, not the Governor."

"You just don't understand social circles Cloud," Tifa sighed, going back to rolling up meatballs for the sauce. "Can you come out here and stir the spaghetti while I finish this?" Cloud rolled his eyes and stood up to enter the kitchen. He grabbed the spoon sticking out of the pot of water and noodles and stirred mechanically. The kitchen was silent for a few minutes as Tifa finished rolling the meatballs.

"Alright, there go in the oven for a few minutes," Tifa said, slipping the tray of meat onto the oven rack as Cloud moved aside. "Thanks."

"No problem, just don't see why you're making a big deal out of this, like I said she's just my secretary."

"Do you really talk to people like that?" Tifa scolded. "I just want to make a good impression. Come on, what will people at your office think if your secretary tells them your girlfriend can't cook and you're socially inept?"

"They'll probably think Yuffie was right," Cloud said. Tifa looked over at him.

"Tell me you're joking."

"As far as I know," Cloud replied. Tifa nodded as Cloud went back into the living room and sat back down.

"So, tell me a bit about her, so we have a conversation starter or two," Tifa called.

"Um…older than us, lives on her own, no boyfriend, looking for a career…" Cloud listed.

"She lives alone?" Tifa frowned, checking the clock. "Any brothers or sisters? Parents?"

"Only child, her father is dead, she visits her mom now and then."

"Oh…"

"What?" Cloud asked.

"She just sounds very lonely, is all, living alone, no family except her mother around," Tifa explained. Cloud thought about that for a moment. Aeris always seemed so bubbly and cheerful to him, but that day Rinoa had come…was she really lonely after all?

"Well, she has friends," Cloud said, trying to convince both of them otherwise. "I met one of them earlier this week, Rinoa, Aeris is going to be a bridesmaid at her wedding."

"Oh god…" Tifa groaned. "A single bridesmaid at her friend's wedding…Cloud, tell me you picked up on that."

"On what?"

"Oh _good god_," Tifa repeated. "Cloud, really, I love you, but you really don't know a thing about women do you?"

"I know I apparently don't understand a thing about them."

There was a pounding on the front door, and Tifa looked over. Cloud muted the TV, stood up and headed to the front hall of the apartment, looking through the peephole.

"It's her," he announced, turning around. Tifa's eyes went wide.

"She's here and you haven't even changed yet?" she gasped. Cloud looked down at himself. Dark blue T-shirt and black jeans, he had changed into them after coming home. He then looked back up at Tifa, black skirt with a light cream blouse. And an apron, naturally since she was busy cooking.

"Um….no?" he muttered. Tifa rolled her eyes. Cloud shrugged and turned back to the door, opening it.

"Hi…i.," he said. Aeris smiled up at him. Okay, maybe the two women saw something in looking nice he didn't. Aeris' outfit looked very much like the outfit she had worn her first day at the office, except it was a one-piece pink dress instead of a skirt with a white blouse. The dress hung straight from her hips and her torso was covered with a dark red jacket.

"Hi," Aeris replied. "Um, it's been a while since I've done something like this, so…here," Aeris held out her hand, and Cloud looked down. A small white box with a pink ribbon. "Do people give gifts when they come over anymore?"

"Not sure myself," Cloud said, taking the box. "Uh, come on in." He stepped back to allow Aeris inside. "I don't do this much either, so if you're feeling awkward, welcome to the club."

"Thanks," Aeris laughed. "Nothing personal, I'm just not used to making new friends." Cloud was reminded of Tifa's suspicions, and filed Aeris' claim in the back of his mind.

"Hi." Cloud turned as Tifa emerged from the kitchen, sans apron. "I'm Tifa, we met before briefly," she said, holding out her hand.

"I remember, Aeris," the secretary replied, shaking Tifa's hand. "Uh, I brought a gift. I'm not sure if that's tradition anymore…"

"That's fine, thanks," Tifa nodded towards the white box as Cloud held it up slightly. "Cloud, why don't you take her into the living room? You want something to drink Aeris?"

"Um, sure, what do you have?" Aeris asked, looking down to slip out of her shoes. Tifa returned to the kitchen and opened the fridge

"We have apple juice, orange juice, root beer, Pepsi and ice water."

"I'll just take water for now," Aeris said. Tifa nodded and fetched a glass from the cupboard as Cloud sat back down on the sofa. Aeris opted for an easy chair beside and turned at an angle to him.

"What were you watching?" Aeris asked.

"Uh? Oh, um, nothing," Cloud said. Tifa had spoken to him earlier – no TV, socialize with her. He racked his brain for something to talk about. At the office conversation flowed so easily he didn't even notice most of the time. But here, he felt like he was forcing himself. Aeris cocked her head.

"Waiiit a minute, I know that guy, that's David Boreanaz…you're watching _Angel_!" she declared in triumph.

"You know that guy?" Cloud asked.

"David Boreanaz, of course I do! He's hot!" Aeris giggled. Cloud gave her an odd look.

"Amen to that," Tifa chimed, bringing in Aeris' water. Aeris thanked her and took the glass, sipping it.

"So do you watch the show a lot?"

"Now and then I flip it on when there's nothing else on. I don't really follow it though so most of the time I have no clue what's going on," Cloud shrugged, pointing at the screen. "I just know he's the good guy, she's a bitch, he's a wimp, and I don't really know anyone else on the show. Oh, and if it has horns, claws or colored skin, it's probably evil and won't survive to the credits." Aeris giggled again. Cloud blushed.

"So…um…" Cloud thought and tried to pick up a topic to talk about. The problem was they talked so much at the office he already knew most he needed to about her and vice versa.

"I just have to let the noodles and sauce cook for a bit now," Tifa said, coming into the room. Cloud mentally thanked his girlfriend for giving him a save. "So Aeris, tell me a bit about yourself."

"Oh…um, well, I'm a college graduate, worked my way up through Shin-Ra…uh, I'm not really sure how far I want to go up though," Aeris said, thinking.

"How come you decided to work for Shin-Ra?" Tifa asked.

"Well business administration just kinda drew me to it. I hear so much about the business world being corrupt, so I figured if I really wanted to make the world a better place, I could try and change that."

"Taking down the system from the inside hm?" Tifa smirked.

"Something like that," Aeris shrugged. "I just want to help people, and I decided the best way to do that was work my way up and make things better along the way."

"Admirable," Tifa nodded. Cloud silently tuned out the two women as they continued chatting, not entirely comfortable butting in. He picked up the remote for the TV – still muted – and flipped the channels a bit.

"Well Cloud?"

Cloud jerked slightly and turned between then to see both women looking at him expectantly.

"Huh?" he asked.

"You have not heard a word we said did you?" Aeris scolded.

"Um…no," Cloud admitted.

"I said the food may be ready, come help me," Tifa said. Cloud nodded and stood.

"Do you mind if I use the bathroom?" Aeris asked.

"Oh sure, it's just down the hall, second door left," Tifa replied. She nodded and headed off as Tifa led Cloud into the kitchen.

"Interested in what you missed space man?" Tifa smirked, pulling the pasta strainer from the cupboard.

"Yes?" Cloud shrugged.

"She's nice, really, actually she mentioned a place down in the suburbs that sells pasta and stuff like this, she's going to show me sometime on the weekend."

"Huh, made a new friend after all," Cloud remarked casually.

"I guess. I was also thinking, maybe you could help her out with that boyfriend thing," Tifa continued, turning off the pot of sauce.

"Me?"

"Yeah, you must know someone who'd be good for her," Tifa said.

"Only co-workers, and work relationships are forbidden, company policy."

"Anyone else?"

"Barret's married, Vincent isn't looking for a woman as far as I know, and I _know_ you don't want me to introduce her to Cid."

"Okay good point…we'll think of something, I'll talk to my girlfriends," Tifa said, dumping the pot of spaghetti into the strainer. "Take the sauce off the burner." Cloud picked up the pot and held it for a moment as Tifa grabbed two bowls. "Thanks." Tifa dumped the sauce into the smaller of the bowls, and the spaghetti into the smaller. "Take these out to the table." Cloud nodded and took the two bowls to the dining table. Aeris came back from the hall, sniffing the air.

"Smells good," she offers, sitting at the table. Cloud sat down as Tifa came in with a large fork for the spaghetti and a plastic spoon. She set them down in the bowls and sat down. Cloud licked his lips and reached for the spaghetti fork.

"Cloud," Tifa hissed, slapping his hand away. Cloud looked over at her, and Tifa jerked her head slightly. Cloud turned the other way to see Aeris with her head bowed, hands clasped and lips moving. Blushing, Cloud lowered his head. He focused slightly on the low words reaching Aeris' lips, barely whispers.

"Protect those I cherish, bring joy to those I love, and help me bring peace to those around me. Amen."

"Amen," Tifa echoed, lifting her head. "Sorry, we didn't know you were religious."

"Oh I'm not, not really," Aeris explained. "My mom…I mean, my real mom, before she died, was Christian, she took me to church every day. I stopped going once Elmyra adopted me, but I try to honor my mom however I can. The little things, you know."

"Sure," Tifa nodded. "I used to say grace before eating too, but Cloud got me out of it." She gave the blonde an accusing look. "I can't remember the last time you prayed before a meal."

"What about the prayers last Thanksgiving with Cid and Barret?" Cloud defended.

"You mean 'Thank God she didn't burn it this year'?"

"No, I mean the prayers we said _while_ you were cooking." Tifa's face turned red as Aeris giggled.

"Let's just eat," she muttered.

"Amen to that," Cloud grinned, taking the fork.

* * *

"So you have a good time?" Cloud asked, pushing open the door to the lobby. Aeris nodded as Cloud walked her down the steps to the apartment complex.

"Yeah. I see why you're dating Tifa," she said. "She's sweet."

"I know," Cloud smiled, stopping at the steps. "You're gonna walk home?"

"Yes, I'm a big girl you know," she muttered, rolling her eyes. "See ya tomorrow, TGIF!" Aeris waved and started walking down the street. Cloud smirked and shook his head for a moment before turning and heading back inside.

**Next chapter...the fun begins evil grin...**


	8. Chapter 8

**Forgive my absence, dear readers. My PC is gone for a while, and my parents laptop has only recently allieviated the problem. But I assure you, I made this chapter worth the wait!**

New Love

Chapter 8

"I still don't get why I have to come," Cloud grumbled, following Barret inside the building.

"Hey, Myrna told me if I felt weird, to take you or Cid along. I do, so here ya'are. The coin just landed on tails is all," Barret replied, leading Cloud down the hall of the community center.

"You decided who to take to dance class with you using a coin toss?"

"What whadda ya suggest?"

Cloud silently conceded his friend's point as Barret pushed open the door to the room where the classes were being held. There were a little less than two-dozen people there, most of them women. The handful of guys, to Cloud's amusement, looked just as awkward and out of place as they did.

"Can I help you?" the instructor asked, turning her head from the front of the class.

"Barret Wallace, here for the class," Barret muttered.

"Cloud Strife, here to laugh to him," Cloud said. A few of the women giggled as Barret shot Cloud a dirty look.

"This is not a spectator class Mr. Strife, if you're here, you're dancing," the instructor warned.

"Uh, hey, no no, I-I don't know to dance," Cloud stammered.

"Then the class should prove most educational," the instructor smirked. "Alright, who remembers the basic box step, show of hands?" Seven hands slowly rose into the air. "Alright then, Mr. Wallace, Mr. Strife, class, pair up and we'll go over it again."

"See ya in there," Barret said, walking away from the door to a series of hooks and benches on the wall where coats and jackets had been hung. Cloud watched as the students paired up, and the instructor turned to a whiteboard at the front of the room and began scribbling something down. He took a breath and slowly turned the handle of the door behind him. He had perfected the art of sneaking out of dances during his high school days with Tifa. The latch slowly clicked back, and with another look at the instructor, Cloud inched backwards into the hall.

"Hey, Cloud!"

Cloud froze and got a pained look on his face. He turned his head to look down the hall.

"Aeris…" he muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm taking the dancing class, you too?" the secretary smiled, walking up to him.

"No."

"Then why are you leaving the room?"

"….friend is taking it, just going to get him a drink."

"Oh, ok." Aeris turned and pointed down another hall. "The vending machines are down there and to the left."

"Right." Cloud stepped back a bit, pushing the door open. Aeris walked past him into the room, and Cloud stepped into the hall fully, the door clicking shut behind him.

"Who just left?"

Cloud cursed at the sound of the instructor's muffled voice from inside the room.

"Oh, it was just Cloud, he went to get his friend a drink," he heard Aeris reply.

"I didn't ask for any drink!" Barret replied. Cloud began jogging down the hall.

"Cloud!"

Cloud skidded to a halt as Aeris poked her head out the door.

"What's going on?" she asked, cocking her head.

"Mr. Strife seems to think he bail out on my class," the instructor called out into the hall.

"I'm not part of your class!" Cloud shouted back. "I told you, I don't dance!"

"Neither does anyone else in that room, that's why they're here silly," Aeris laughed. "Come on, you don't want to see what Angela does to people who bail on her." Cloud grimaced, and after a moment, reluctantly began walking back down the hall.

"I used to teach high school dance, Mr. Strife," the instructor, aka Angela, told him as he followed Aeris into the room. Naturally, everyone – including Barret – was staring at him. "I didn't let students leave then and I don't now."

"What do I have to do to get out of here with my dignity intact?" Cloud groaned.

"It's too late for that, but I'll let you keep what dignity is left if you stay for the rest of the class," Angela smiled. "Seeing as how Ms. Gainsborough so generously pulled you back here, perhaps she can keep you here now."

"Sure, I'll keep him in line," Aeris winked. Cloud felt his cheeks flush anew as Angela went back to the front of the room and began gesturing to a series of marks on the whiteboard.

"Alright, come on you," Aeris said, dragging Cloud by the hand to the back of the room, separate from the other students. "It's time to dance."

"Huh?" Cloud asked. "I thought we're doing the…um…"

"Oh, they're doing the boxstep, that's not _real _dancing," Aeris rolled her eyes. "I've been dancing since I was a kid, by the time I'm done with you you'll be moving like the lovechild of Elvis and Baryshnikov."

"Huh?" Cloud repeated.

"Oh, just come on," Aeris giggled, grabbing both his hands. "Put your left hand on my shoulder," she instructed. Cloud awkwardly did as he was told. "Good, now the other one on my back." Cloud again did so. "No no no," Aeris said. "Cloud, you're not Mr. Roboto! Dancing should be natural, smooth, and you can't do that acting like this!" Aeris put her hand around his wrist and jerked his arm down. Cloud blushed as his hand came to rest in the small of her back, his palm resting against the pink wool of Aeris' sweater. "There, feel that?"

"I don't know, what should I be feeling?" Cloud mumbled. Aeris smiled and put her hands on Cloud's shoulders.

"This, watch and feel." Aeris waited for a moment, and stepped to the left. Cloud stumbled after her. "Okay, let's try that again."

"Sorry," Cloud said, looking down. "My feet just don't-"

"Don't stare at your feet," Aeris said, bringing a hand to tilt Cloud's chin back up. "Your eyes tell your partner where you're going, look at my eyes." Cloud groaned slightly and made a point of looking at everything else in the room, including the rest of the class who, to his slight relief, were paying no attention to him. Finally, he looked back at Aeris.

Her emerald-green eyes had been the first things that had caught his attention when he had met her in the elevator the first day she came to the office. Cloud couldn't remember ever seeing eyes that bright. He'd never _not_ been aware of them, but now he was all the same reminded of their brilliance.

"Alright," Aeris said slowly, holding his gaze. "Focus on what you're feeling right now, your hands and me and my hands on you, okay?"

"Kay…" Cloud murmured, trying to pay attention to her words and her eyes at the same time.

"When I go to move, you should be able to feel where I'm going, and you move with me. My eyes, your hands, my hands, tell you where your partner is taking you and where to go. Ready?"

"I think so," Cloud nodded. Aeris nodded back, and Cloud waited for a moment, staring down at her. Finally, Aeris stepped right…

And Cloud stepped left.

Aeris started laughing again as Cloud stepped back away from her.

"I told you I can't dance," he protested, starting to walk towards the door. Aeris rolled her eyes and grabbed his arm, spinning him back around.

"No one gets it right their first time, Cloud," she said. "Come on, again." Aeris put her hands back on Cloud's shoulders, and he reluctantly put his hands back on her back and shoulder. "Alright, we'll go slow. Feel my back?" Cloud nodded. "Alright, tell me which way I'm going." Cloud concentrated on the feel of Aeris' body underneath the sweater, and felt the muscles move.

"Um…left?" he guessed.

"Yes!" Aeris' face and eyes lit up. "How about now? Focus on my shoulder now." Cloud felt her begin to move, and the two stepped backwards. "There you go!" Aeris cheered. Cloud looked up from her at the rest of the class, a few of them – including Barret – staring at them.

"I'm gonna lose circulation if I keep blushing this much," Cloud muttered.

"Relax, they're just jealous," Aeris teased. "Now shut up and focus back on the hands. I told ya, I'm gonna turn you into Baryshnikov."

"Who?"

"No more words," Aeris lifted a finger and pressed it to Cloud's lips. "Everything a dancer needs to say…" Aeris pulled her hand back and tapped the bridge of her nose, "is in the eyes." She adjusted the positions of their hands. "Again."

* * *

Back, left, left, right, back, forward, right…

Aeris was still leading – Cloud wasn't ready for that quite yet, but he was following her lead perfectly. The class had left fifteen minutes ago, including Angela, and Barret had gone to the vending machines. Aeris had insisted on continuing, and Cloud hadn't protested. The signals she had told him were coming in clear now, and he was feeling her movements with ease. He hadn't stumbled once in the last ten minutes.

Aeris and Cloud stepped, and Cloud got an idea. They stepped forwards him, and he spun out of Aeris' hands on his shoulders, taking his hand from her back and taking it. She gasped slightly, caught off-guard, as Cloud swung backwards. Smiling, Aeris turned into him, the folds of her skirt and sweater spinning with her thick braid, and Cloud lifted his hand to help her movement. She ended the spin by hitting his chest, laughing and patting a hand against his shoulder.

"You almost had me there," she scolded, wagging a finger at him.

"I got ambitious," Cloud shrugged.

"Yo!" The two parted as Barret came back, chewing a Kit-Kat stick. "Didn't get a chance to say hi before. I'm Barret." He extended his hand.

"Aeris."

"Hold on, Aeris? You're his secretary he keeps talking about,"

"Oh? Cloud talks about me, does he?" Aeris shot him a look.

"Not like _that_," Cloud replied. "You ready to go Barret?"

"Been ready, you?"

"Sure."

"Awright, I'll go bring the car around," Barret grabbed his jacket and headed out of the room.

"You need a ride?" Cloud asked Aeris. She shook her head.

"No thanks, I don't live far away, I walk."

"Kay. Thanks, again, for the dancing."

"No problem, you could be pretty good if you actually took lessons."

"I'll pass." Cloud grabbed Aeris hand again and started swinging her again. "Besides, you taught me the basics, how much harder can it be?" Aeris spun again and hit his chest, looking at him at with the smile.

"You're an interesting guy Cloud…you know that?" she said.

"You're an interesting guy too…I mean, girl, woman!" Cloud stammered. Aeris giggled, and Cloud blushed as she looked up at him. He had been holding her bright green gaze for the better part of the last hour as she danced with him. But this…this was different. Cloud kept staring, and this time it wasn't because he was trying to real her movements.

"Cloud, you okay?" Aeris asked, her smile fading.

"Huh? Oh…yeah…" Cloud nodded dimly. "Just thinking."

"About what?"

"…I'm not sure." It wasn't a lie, not really. Whatever thoughts he had been having a few moments ago had vanished once he looked down at her. His mind had gone blank, save for the brilliance of those bright eyes he suddenly couldn't get out of his head…

"Come on, let's go!" Cloud visibly jerked and stepped back as if the hands on Aeris had been burned. Barret stood at the door of the room, and Cloud looked at him dumbly. Why did he suddenly feel…like he'd been caught?"

"Um…bye, Aeris," he said, looking back at her.

"See you Monday…get some sleep, okay Cloud?" she replied. He nodded and followed Barret into the hall.

* * *

"I'm home!" Cloud called, slamming the door of the apartment.

"In the kitchen!" his girlfriend replied. "I got home early so I decided to cook." Cloud slid into the kitchen, and she squeaked as he slid her arms around her waist.

"Something smells good," Cloud whispered.

"I haven't even put it in the oven yet. Unless you mean the gravy."

"I wasn't talking about the food." Cloud kissed her neck, and she turned around in his grasp.

"What's gotten into you?" she asked.

"I was just coming home, thinking how lucky I am, with a girlfriend like you," Cloud smirked.

"Since when are you Mr. Affectionate?"

"Since about two minutes ago," Cloud leaned down to kiss her neck again, and she squirmed.

"Cloud, no, the food is on," she protested. Cloud looked up and lifted a hand from her back to turn off the burner of the stove with a click.

"That solve the problem?" he asked.

"Actually, yes," she replied with a grin. She leaned up to kiss him on the lips, and Cloud turned her from the counter, his hand coming to rest on her back again. She gasped slightly as he backed her up against the wall, a hand reaching down to her hip. A leg curled up from her skirt and her thigh slid onto his fingertips. Cloud kissed his way across her face back to her neck, and her gasps turned into small moans. A small hand found its way into spiky blonde bangs, and the small, unintentional pull caused Cloud to jerk his head back. He gasped for breath, his unused hand reaching up to brush a few stray strands of light brown hair away from glowing emerald eyes.

"Aeris…"

* * *

Cloud sat upright in bed with a cry, panting heavily. The darkened bedroom was lit only by the dim moonlight filtering in through the curtain, and the red numbers of the alarm clock. Silent but for his own breathing, Cloud swallowed twice and turned to see Tifa murmur beside him and turn over in her sleep. Cloud stared at her, and looked down at his hands, as if they could explain what had just happened. Cloud forced his mouth to move, and spoke the only words that were coming to mind. Two words, and a horrifying, startling revelation.

"…oh God…" Cloud turned his head back to his sleeping girlfriend, his eyes wide. Even now, outside the dreamscape, bright green eyes floated into his field of view.

"I'm attracted to my secretary."


	9. Chapter 9

New Love

**Ladies, gentlemen…let the fun begin -evil grin-.**

Chapter 9

_Tick…tick…tick…tick…tick_

The small clock on Cloud's desk counted the seconds flawlessly as the Shin-Ra employee stared blankly at the black and blue login screen of his computer, his head propped up on his hand. He'd been staring at it for about seven…wait, eight minutes now. Eight minutes and one second… two… three… four.

The door to the office clicked opened, and Cloud looked up to see a glimpse of pink and white. He yelped and ducked under his desk, his chair being pushed against the wall in the swiftness of the action.

"Cloud, you okay?" Aeris asked. Cloud looked out through the small seam between the bottom of the desk and the carpet to see Aeris' short brown heels step behind the desk.

"Yeah, fine!" he called up. The shoes stopped in front of the fax machine.

"Why are you under the desk?" Aeris asked, leaning back slightly to stare down at him. Cloud thought quickly.

"Dropped my pen, looking for it," he blurted. _"Don't look her in the eyes, don't even think about looking her in the eyes, those big green gorge-" _Cloud mentally slapped himself and stopped himself from finishing the thought. Above him, Aeris noticed a pen lying on the carpet next to the fax machine and knelt to pick it up.

"Is this it?" she asked. Crap. Cloud quickly stole a glance at the pen being held out to him.

"Nope," he said, whirling his head back around. Aeris gave him an odd look and stood up, placing the pen on his desk.

"You sure you're okay?" she repeated, picking up one of the faxes she had come in to send. Cloud brushed a blonde bang from his face and made a show of feeling around under the desk.

"Never better, just looking for that pen," he insisted. How long was she going to be here? He had been having a hard enough time keeping his mind off her that morning without her around. Breakfast with Tifa had been an odd affair, much like his secretary he couldn't bring himself to look his girlfriend in the eye, and served himself silently offering two-word answers to Tifa's occasional question. Hell, he had left without his keys in his absent-mindedness, thankfully Tifa had run down the hall to catch him. It didn't make any sense, it was just a dream, it wasn't like he had _really_ cheated on her, right?

_"No, you just fantasized about cheating on her, specifically with your secretary, specifically in your apartment up against the kitchen wall."_

"Oh shut up," Cloud snarled bitterly.

"Excuse me?" Aeris said, turning and looking down at Cloud. Cloud cursed under his breath. Damn, she was still here. Aeris turned back around and fed the fax through the machine, watching the light to make sure it sent.

"Um…just thinking aloud," Cloud explained. Aeris nodded slightly, though he couldn't see it, and picked up the next fax.

"Ow!"

"What, what is it?" Cloud cried, springing to his feet, all thoughts of frustration and eyes and lustful dreams involving kitchen walls leaving his mind.

"Nothing, just a paper cut," Aeris said, holding her index finger and peering at a small, thin slice on the tip. Cloud's shoulders relaxed slightly. Good, paper cut, nothing big, she wasn't hurt. Cloud opened his mouth to say so, when Aeris lifted her hand and popped her finger in her mouth. She sucked for a moment, then drew the finger back out and picked up a tissue from Cloud's desk, nursing it. Cloud, against his better judgment, _stared_. Had she always acted like this before? Why hadn't he noticed? How the hell did someone look so sexy and so innocent at the same time? And since when had he started thinking of Aeris as 'sexy'? Cloud's eyes widened at the revelation.

"Ah, that's gonna sting for a bit," Aeris mused. "We have band-aids in the office, right Cloud?" He didn't answer. "Cloud?" Aeris looked up to see an empty office stretching before her.

* * *

_Clang, clang, clang, clang_

Cloud stepped back from the steel air dryer, then banged his head against it once more for good measure.

"Ow," he muttered, stumbling slightly as he walked to the sink. He turned on the faucet and cupped his hands, splashing lukewarm water on his face. He wiped off his eyes and lifted his head to stare at his reflection in the mirror, water dripping off his features. He reached down to turn off the water, and the bathroom became silent save for the water dripping off him, echoing slightly off the bathroom walls.

"Why has this happened to me?" Cloud said aloud. He'd never experienced anything like this before. He'd never really looked at girls or women since he and Tifa had become a couple, and even before then he never paid much attention except for the occasional passing crush. So why was it happening now? It wasn't that Aeris wasn't attractive, she was. It was natural for him think so, right? He had a girlfriend, but he wasn't dead or impotent. So he noticed Aeris was attractive, big deal, she _was_ attractive. Smart, funny, gorgeous eyes, great le-

Cloud let out a cry and slapped a hand over his face. Not helping. Okay, fine, she was attractive. He had met attractive women before, and nothing happened. So why should Aeris be any different? How was she having such an effect on him? Well, there was the fact this was the first time he had worked around said attractive woman. Not to mention it was the first time he had dreamt about one of them, especially a dream like _that_. But so what? So he had one dream about her, it was just a dream, it didn't mean a thing.

"Yeah…just a dream," he said aloud, nodding. It wasn't like anything would come of it, right? Aeris had never hinted she was interested in him, and even if she was he was in a perfectly good relationship with Tifa, and Aeris wouldn't try and split them apart he knew. Taking a breath, Cloud turned on the air dryer again and angled the spout up, drying his face off. His black dress shirt was a little wet, but it was black so no one would really notice. He turned and walked out of the bathroom and back to the office. Aeris was just turning back from the cupboard behind her desk, wrapping a bandage around her finger.

"Hey," Cloud said softly. Aeris looked up.

"Cloud, what's going on, you've been acting really strange today," she said. Clown smiled slightly. She was concerned for him. Wasn't surprising, she wasn't just his secretary, she was his friend, a good friend. She was just looking out for him.

"I know, sorry. I just had a weird dream last night," he explained. "My problem, it's okay. Tell you what, as my apology I'll choke down a cup of coffee." Aeris' eyes narrowed.

"Choke down a cup," she muttered, although her eyes twinkled slightly. "Yeah right, fine." She moved past him, patting him on the shoulder. "Don't weird me out like that, kay?"

"Yeah," Cloud replied. Aeris left the office to the kitchen, and Cloud moved back into his office. He noticed the small stack of faxes Aeris has left on his desk a few minutes ago, and had a thought. Hell, he _had_ been acting weird today, he had to pay her back somehow. He went out to the hall and followed Aeris to the kitchen.

"He-" Cloud started, turning into the kitchen. Aeris didn't hear him, she was busy in the cupboard over the counter and had the door open blocking her view, leaning on a footstool for a boost. Cloud stopped, and his eyes went wide. Aeris' clothing was usually semi-formal, but today was a warm day, so she had gone with a simple pink T-shirt and a straight white skirt that hung just above her knees. Said T-shirt was riding up on her stomach as she stretched atop the footstool, granting him the barest glimpse of her navel. Her skirt was following suit, creeping up the back of the bottom of her thighs as she leaned up on the tips of her toes. Cloud stared for a moment, then turned and rushed back to his office. He shut the door behind him and slumped into his chair.

"This is gonna be a problem," he groaned. He looked back at the clock. He had let that dream disrupt his work long enough. Cloud forced himself to log in, trying to push thoughts of Aeris and sex and all the other equally enticing and terrifying thoughts associated with them from his head. It worked. A little. A few minutes later, the office door opened, and the object of his torment entered.

"Here you go, Aeris said, turning the mug to face the handle towards him. Cloud looked at it for a moment, and the hand holding it. "Hurry please, it's hot," Aeris urged. Cloud nodded and reached up to take the handle. He brushed his fingertips on Aeris' hand, and gulped slightly.

"Thanks," he said quietly, feeling his face heat and not from the drink. Aeris simply smiled and left. Cloud took a deep breath and set his coffee down. This wasn't going to be as easy as he thought.

* * *

It was about after lunch, and Cloud, to his credit and relief, had gotten his work done. The pace was slower than usual, but at least he was working. Considering that Aeris was always around, in his thoughts even when she wasn't in the office, he was amazed he was able to concentrate as much as he was. Cloud had eaten his lunch in the kitchen and caught himself watching her move about. He had tried to concentrate on his meal, but apparently his eyes preferred watching women as opposed to watching noodles and vegetables swirl in soup broth.

Had her hips always swung like that when she walked? It didn't help that her braided hair drew his attention to that particular area when she walked, swaying in rhythm with her footsteps. She had always worn it in that thick braid as long as he could remember. What did it look like loose, did it fall straight or would it be curly from being tied up like that? Did she take the hair out of the braid when she slept? How did she wash and style hair that long, Tifa's hair was half the length and she seemed to have enough trouble with that. And why God _why was he thinking about these kinds of things?_

Try as he might, Cloud couldn't get her out of his head and it was driving him insane. Sitting at a desk with a beautiful woman you couldn't help but think of as a sex object was not the way to work. Cloud didn't think of Aeris that way before last night, and he certainly didn't _want_ to think of her like that. He was too much of a friend with Aeris to start objectifying her. Still…her eyes were still so goddamn bright and her hair looked so soft…

It almost amazed him she had this kind of effect on him out of nowhere. Where had this come from? Until that dream he had never given her a second look, now it was as if a veil had been lifted from his eyes and almost everything she did made her look cute or sweet or innocent or sexy. Even the way she had brushed her bangs out of her eyes as she scanned the vending machine for a drink at lunch, lifting two perfectly manicured fingers and lifting the soft brown locks to the side, the ends brushing her smooth cheek while she hummed softly. Much to Cloud's inner horror, his attempts to keep himself from thinking of her that way grew more futile by the minute.

"Cloud?" Aeris called, opening the door. Cloud nodded. That had been the one minefield he was sidestepping around – her eyes. They still transfixed him, and not willing to risk being caught in them now that he was conscious of his attraction to her, he tried to avoid looking her in the face. Thankfully, his mind hadn't gotten so bad as to stare at her chest instead, Aeris may have been attractive, but he wasn't a pervert. So mostly, he just tried to keep the eye contact to a minimum. It worked for now.

"Yes?" he asked, finishing the file update for the current client.

"You have a phone call on line 1. It's the Hojo account," Aeris said. Cloud looked up and stared at her, surprised.

"They're on the phone _now_?" he said. The Hojo account had still been the subject of Rufus' personal desires. Cloud's job likely hinged on landing his boss the winemakers as Shin-Ra clients. Cloud had looked at the profit margins for the Hojo company. The exact procedures for their wines were a closely guarded family secret, but they worked and the Hojos made a respectable profit from it. They wouldn't at all be poor choices for clients. Still, Cloud knew Rufus only wanted them signed so he could, in his own subtle, back-door way, help himself to their product. Cloud wasn't complaining. It wasn't easy to pull off, but a happy Rufus meant a happy Cloud.

"Thanks." Cloud said, nodding. Aeris left the room as Cloud picked up the receiver. "Hello?"

"Is this Cloud Strife?" the voice on the other line demanded. Cloud straightened slightly at the speaker. The tone was neutral, but cold.

"It is, is this Mr. Hojo?" he asked, scrambling to pull up the client file for the Hojos on his computer.

"Yes. You are the one overseeing my family's potential contracts with Shin-Ra then," Mr. Hojo said.

"Yes sir I am," Cloud replied. Ah, there it was. The Hojo company was owned by Daisuke Hojo, a former chemist. Weird choice of career for a scientist, wine making.

"Good. Then you are the one who can explain to me why it is we should sign with your company," Mr. Hojo grunted. Cloud shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He knew it was impossible, but all the same he got the sense the man on the line was scrutinizing him.

"Well Mr. Hojo, as I'm sure you are aware we here at Shin-Ra are dedicated to making sure the world knows the best and can make informed decisions for their products. I'm sure you'll agree your company fits that profile and I know the world would love to share the luxury you give your current customers." Cloud said, reciting his internal, practiced script. Flattery always worked when dealing with people like this.

"Hmph. You haven't even tasted our alcohol," Mr. Hojo sneered. Cloud blinked. Well, _almost_ always.

"E, execuse me?"

"You speak with the pathetic droning of a man who knows nothing of the subject of which he speaks. Don't play me for a fool, I'm not my father," Mr. Hojo explained. Cloud frowned. Father?

"Is this Daisuke Hojo?" Cloud asked.

"What did I just finish saying?" Mr. Hojo said, his voice growing colder. Cloud could swear he felt ice crystals begin to form on the receiver. "My father is an idiot who spends his time in his penthouse drunk on his company's own product."

"I thought the business was owned by Daisuke Hojo," Cloud said, confused.

"He is the majority stockholder, yes, but he merely owns the company, I run it, and if he were to be in charge he would run it only into the ground. I am his son, though I am loathe to admit it. And my name is Sephiroth, though you won't be using it."

"Ah, excuse me sir, I didn't know, slight miscommunication," Cloud said, typing up a note of that on his PC. So the rumors were true, the son was the true power behind the Hojo company. And Cloud, forgetting that, had just barely stumbled through a phone conversation with the man in one piece.

"Hmph. My faith in the competence of Shin-Ra grows ever greater," Sephiroth muttered.

"Well, sir, you're correct in that I haven't personally tried Hojo wines, but I assure you my superior has and he speaks very highly of you. In fact it's his keen eyes and keen tastes that made him decide to try and have us sign you," Cloud said, trying to regain some of his standing.

"If my company is so important to your superior, why do I speak to you and not him?" Sephiroth asked. Cloud sighed.

"To be honest sir, I suspect it's so, if you don't sign with us, he'll have someone to blame and fire for it," he replied. Sephiroth chuckled slightly.

"You amuse me," he said.

"Um…thank you?" Cloud asked, confused. Was that a compliment or an insult?

"Don't thank me, I find your struggle to maintain a professional attitude pathetic and yet humorous. You may as well be on your knees begging me for the contract with the way you're speaking."

"Would that help?"

"No. But, since you seem to feel you job is on the line, I will end this little banter game of ours and spare you further humiliation. I do believe you said in your email to me that you have a contract written up?"

"Ah, yes I do!" Cloud said, glad the man had cut him some slack. He stood up and pulled out a file folder from the top of his desk. "Just a moment sir…ah, here we are!" Cloud pulled out the three-page contract.

"Good. I shall be coming to see you within a week or two, as the business here permits, and we shall discuss this further then. Fax me the contract and I shall look it over when I can spare the moment."

"Of course sir," Cloud said, looking over the contract's front page. "The fax number is, ah…786, 453, 2154?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'm sending the fax now," Cloud said, laying the contract on the loading tray. He typed in the number and hit send. "It's sending now Mr. Hojo."

"Good. Today is a Monday, I believe. I shall come and meet with you next Wednesday at noon," Sephiroth said.

"Just let me check my schedule," Cloud looked over at the calendar on the wall. "Um, next Wednesday is fine."

"Of course it is. And your name was again?"

"Cloud Strife, Mr. Hojo," Cloud supplied.

"Hmph. Well then, see you soon…Cloud." Sephiroth hung up, and Cloud listened to the dial tone for a moment before putting down the receiver. He turned to watched the third piece of the contract for the Hojo company and Shin-Ra slid into the paper feeder, and let out a breath he didn't notice he was holding.

"Ooooh boy…"

**Show of hands, who forgot I said Sephiroth would be in this story? I DIDN'T! :D**


	10. Chapter 10

New Love

Chapter 10

"I'll be leaving on Wednesday and will be gone until next Monday, you'll be okay, right?" Tifa said. Cloud stared at the peas and corn on his plate, rolling back and forth a pea with his fork. "Cloud?" Tifa asked.

"You ever noticed there's no blue food?" Cloud said suddenly, spearing the lone pea and lifting it up to his eye. "We have red food, green, yellow, brown, black, purple, orange, white, brown, but no blue food. How come?"

"Cloud," Tifa said slowly. The blonde turned his focus from the vegetable to his girlfriend. "Do you realize you're talking about the color of food?" Tifa asked. Cloud blinked, and lifted his eyebrows.

"Huh?"

"You didn't hear a word I've said did you?" Tifa asked. Cloud blinked again, and shook his head.

"Sorry, sorry…just drifted off."

"I noticed," Tifa said dryly. Cloud rubbed his eyes. He hadn't gotten much sleep the past few nights, he been resisting sleep for fear of having another dream about Aeris. When sleep had finally did come, it was thus far, thankfully dreamless. Cloud was having enough trouble with his thoughts about Aeris when he was awake.

_"I should tell her," _he thought to himself. Once it was out in the open he would feel better, and she could help him work through his feelings.

_"And which 'she' would you be referring to?"_

Cloud narrowed his eyes. He hadn't thought of that. Telling either Aeris or Tifa about what was going on with him could be disastrous. He had a good friend and a loving girlfriend on the line, and had no desire to lose either of them.

_"But that can't be helped. You're going to have to choose."_

_"Choose?" _Cloud thought, _"Since when do I have to make a choice? Choose what exactly?" _his thoughts had no answer for that. Cloud decided he didn't want one. He already had an idea what said answer would have been anyway.

Across the table, Tifa watched the subtle play of emotions across Cloud's face as he waged some unknown debate with himself. She wished he would talk to her anymore. Cloud had never been a social butterfly, but he had always been willing to talk to her. If she asked, he answered. Until recently, for some reason.

"So how are things going with Aeris?" she asked.

"There's nothing going on with Aeris!" Cloud snapped suddenly, eyes wide. Tifa sat back slightly, stunned. Cloud stared at her, then winced and stood up.

"I'll be back," he muttered, walking out of the room.

"You haven't eaten your dinner yet!" Tifa called. The slam of a door down the hall was her answer. Tifa sighed and shook her head. She stood up and picked up her plate – empty, she had finished her meal – and quietly took it into the kitchen.

* * *

Cloud quietly sat down on the toilet seat in the bathroom, cupping his hands to his face. The passing dream was proving anything but. He had spent the last two days now trying with no success to get Aeris out of his mind. This clearly wasn't something that was going to go away. And try as he might, Cloud was having as much success understanding what was happening as much as he was getting over it.

How was it Aeris had such a powerful effect over him? He'd never felt this way about anyone else before, and it was confusing. He dreaded being near her, because that meant having with deal with this strange feeling. On the other hand, he constantly thought about her and wanted to see her more, even considering overtime. He was terrified of what was happening, but in a strange way, he relished it. It didn't make any sense.

"So what do I do?" Cloud asked, lowering his eyes. He had to figure out what was going on and how to stop it one way or the other, before he lost his job and his girlfriend. But he had spent hours playing over his conflicting, paradoxical emotions and found no answers. He had to look elsewhere. Cloud thought for a moment. He needed an outside opinion. An idea came to him, and Cloud focused on it…it might work.

* * *

"Now make sure the unit is grounded properly, or the wires will crossed, and I don't want none of you listening in on government shit. We're gonna review Friday's test tomorrow, so unless you're a dumbass and want to fail, don't skip. Now get outta here."

Cloud waited quietly in the back of the hall as Cid finished his lecture in the colorful style he remembered when he had been in college. The students filed out, and Cloud let them leave before walking down the aisle to Cid.

"Hey," he called. Cid looked up from his notes.

"The hell you doing here?" he asked, collecting his books.

"I need to talk to you," Cloud said.

"Well hurry up, I gotta be across campus in fifteen, walk and talk." Cid began walking out of the side exit of the room, and Cloud followed him.

"Okay, Cid, I know we're friends, so if I asked you to keep a secret, you'd do it, right?" Cloud said as they crossed the grass outside.

"What the hell are you asking for, unless you killed someone or some shit, you know I'm good for whatever you gotta say," Cid said. Cloud nodded and took a breath.

"Well, okay…the thing is, I'm kinda messed up over a woman."

"Tifa givin' ya hell huh?"

"Uh, no…someone else." Cid stopped and stared at Cloud.

"Holy shit Cloud, I never figured ya for a cheater," Cid muttered.

"No!" Cloud shouted. "I'm not cheating on Tifa."

"Oh, good, okay. So ya just got the hots for someone else then, huh?" Cid asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I'm trying to figure it out but it's damn confusing."

"Well what's going on, just say it," Cid said. The two reached a building, and Cid pushed open the doors as Cloud followed.

"She's really pretty, gorgeous even, and I can't stop thinking about her. I hate having to be near her because I always act like such an idiot around her anymore, but even so I want to see her. I'm always worried I'll do something stupid around her and I usually do, but she smiles and laughs at me and it's okay. I'm just…she confuses me like hell, but she always makes things so clear too, and…" Cloud stopped as he realized Cid was no longer behind him. He turned to see the engineering professor grinning ear to ear at him. "What?"

"I know exactly what's wrong with ya," Cid laughed, his grin growing wider. "You're smitten, boy. You're in love."

"WHAT?" Cloud shrieked, his eyes bulging. "I am _not_ in love with Aeris!" Cid's grin vanished, and Cloud cried out and slapped a hand over his mouth.

"Aeris, like, cute secretary, 'seven and a half out of ten', that Aeris?" Cid asked.

"That would be her," Cloud groaned, nodding.

"Ah, shit…no wonder your spiky little head is fucked up," Cid lifted his eyebrows and began walking again. "Does she know ya feel like this?"

"Are you insane?"

"Alright, does Tifa know?"

"See previous response."

"Heh…well Cloud, I still say what I said before, you're in love," Cid fished out a key ring from his pocket and unlocked a classroom door, walking inside. "Look, think about it. You worry about how you act around her, you think about her all the time, she makes you feel better about yourself, and you find her attractive. You haven't written her poems or given her gifts have ya?"

"Not unless you count faxes and invoices." Cloud stood at the door of the room as Cid set his books at the front.

"That's still four out of five. I spend my day surrounded by horny hormonal college kids, I know the signs, and you got them. You're head over heels loopy for her."

"So…this isn't just going to go away?" Cloud muttered, his shoulders slumping. Cid shrugged and walked back to the door of the class.

"Search me. I feel for ya, buddy, I do, but this ain't my department. Now I gotta get ready for my next class. See ya." Cid gently shut the classroom door, and Cloud let out a noise of protest.

"Fine!" he yelled, looking at his watch. "My lunch is over soon anyway, time to go back to work and ogle my hot secretary I suppose!" Cloud turned to walk down the hall, and glared at a cluster of students staring at him. "What are you looking at?" he muttered, pushing through them.

* * *

"I dunno, he's just been acting really weird lately," Aeris mused, biting into her sandwich. In the small kitchen area of the Shin-Ra building, Rinoa thought for a moment.

"Problems with his girlfriend?" she suggested.

"I doubt it, I've met her, Tifa's a sweetheart," Aeris replied. "I don't think that's it."

"Who knows then?" Rinoa said. "He's cute and weird."

"Yeah, but not like this. I'm worried about him."

"Awwwwww," Rinoa drew out, smirking. Aeris looked up at her and swallowed the chewed sandwich in her mouth.

"What?"

"It's so cute, you care about him," Rinoa shrugged, still smiling.

"Of course, he's my boss, and more than that, he's my friend."

"Mm-hm. Yup, you care, he just happens to be a good friend of yours. A cute, smart friend who you keep running into inexplicably outside of work." Aeris raised a thin eyebrow as Rinoa sat back and looked around the room.

"I get what you're implying, and I don't like it," Aeris said slowly, narrowing her eyes. "We're just friends is all. Besides, he has a girlfriend."

"Uh-huh. Tell me Aeris, have you ever had a boyfriend besides Zack?"

"Not really, why?"

"Because I have, and I know the signs of a guy going ga-ga over a girl."

"Like what?" Aeris asked, opening a her small carton of milk.

"Gets nervous around her, asks really strange, stumbles over his words, stares off into space, goes out of his way to see her, is sweet and protective of her," Rinoa listed. "Any of those ring a bell?" Aeris thought for a moment. Then, her mouth fell open.

"Oh my…god…" she whispered, staring at Rinoa. "You don't think…Cloud?"

"I just know what I know and what you're telling me," Rinoa replied, holding up her hands. "Hey, you said he has a girlfriend, so no big deal right?"

"No big deal?" Aeris cried. "You're suggesting my boss has the hots for me! What if he…you know, starts harassing me or something, this is where court cases begin you know."

"I've met the guy, Cloud's not that kind of guy," Rinoa said.

"Well, okay. But what if…maybe he wants me to be his mistress or something! Or maybe he and Tifa are swingers, I don't know their personal lives that well!"

"Now you're going insane," Rinoa observed. Aeris calmed down and bit her lip.

"We work together, even if…even if he wasn't attached, nothing could happen," she said.

"That depends, do you want something to happen?"

"What kind of question is that, he has girlfriend and I'm not going to be a man stealer."

"Well, let's say his girlfriend just up and left him," Rinoa pushed. Aeris rolled her eyes.

"…I guess, maybe, if he wasn't attached, but we're not dealing with the what ifs."

"Funny, because that's all you could talk about a minute ago." Rinoa looked at her watch. "I think your lunch is almost over, I'm gonna split."

"You're gonna leave me alone with Cloud?" Aeris cried. Rinoa turned to her and winked.

"You're a big girl," she teased. Aeris looked down at her nearly finished lunch and let out a breath. In the hall, Rinoa pushed the button for the elevator, and waited. The doors slid open, and she burst into a grin.

"Cloud!" she said, causing the blond to raise his head.

"Yeah?"

"Tell me, Aeris…think she's cute?" Rinoa asked. Cloud's face went red, and he swallowed.

"Uh, um…yeah, I guess. Why?"

"Oh, no reason," Rinoa replied, stepping back and extending her arm into the hall. "Come on, I gotta go." Cloud stepped out of the elevator and gave Rinoa an odd look. The brunette slipped into the elevator and gave Cloud a two-fingered wave. As the doors closed, Rinoa giggled.

"Oh yeah, he's got it bad," she thought aloud.

Cloud walked past the lunch room, and stopped and took a step back. Aeris was looking for something in the fridge.

"Aeris?"

"Ah!" Aeris jumped up and turned to stare at him, brushing her hair from her face. "Oh, um…yes?" Cloud blinked. He'd never seen Aeris do that before.

"Just making sure it was you. Lunch is over soon," he said.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," Aeris nodded. Cloud thought for a moment. Something was wrong.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, fine, fine…you?"

"Fine."

"Okay…good."

"Yeah…" Cloud trailed off and the two shared a mutual stare of confusion before Cloud went down to the hall to his office. Back in the lunch room, Aeris sighed heavily as she set her milk down in the fridge and closed the door. Rinoa couldn't be right about Cloud, there was no way…wasn't there?


	11. Chapter 11

New Love

Chapter 11

"Then where is she?" Cloud asked. Elmyra Gainsborough thought for a moment. Cloud knew Aeris had been planning to see her stepmother that weekend, but Rufus had dumped an assignment for a speech on him on Friday. He had the speech typed and saved on a USB, but on Rufus' order he wanted Aeris to proofread it.

"She said she was going out," Elmyra shrugged. "Probably to the church again."

"Church?" Cloud asked.

"Yes, didn't she tell you about that?"

Cloud nodded. Now he remembered, Aeris had mentioned she had more or less taken over a dilapidated church in the area.

"Where is it?"

"It's just a few blocks to the south, you can't miss it."

* * *

Cloud slowly pushed the large oak doors of the church open, and walked inside. He looked around, whistling low. The church, so he recalled, had been set on fire and nearly burned down about twenty years ago. Even now, it was a mess. Dust caked the pews, many of which were rotting, and the red carpet was now almost black. Wood and stone pillars held up a two story roof, with stained glass windows on the walls. It really would have been a beautiful place, if someone put in the time and effort to fix it up.

"Hello?" Aeris emerged from a door near the front of the church, a toolbox in her hand. "Cloud?"

"Hey," the blond raised his hand in a wave. "Elmyra told me you'd be here."

"Yeah, what's up?" Aeris asked, setting the tool box down on the altar. Cloud noticed the floorboards have been cleared away at the front of the church aisle. A circular garden had been planted in their place.

"Here, Rufus' speech," Cloud said, walking up the aisle. He reached into his pocket and held out the USB.

"Oh, right," Aeris replied, taking the device. "That all?"

"Yeah, just…what are you doing here?" Cloud gestured to the tool box on the altar.

"Oh, just doing a little work on my day off. I have a couple of two-by-fours with a ladder outside, was going to try and fix that." Aeris looked up, and Cloud followed her gaze. The roof over the flower patch was rotting and falling apart, and a few stray beams of sunlight came through holes in the beams. "A stray piece of wood fell off last week onto the flowers, I want to fix it before it collapses."

"You?" Cloud muttered. "You were going to fix it?" Aeris' face turned red.

"Yes, thank you. I told you, I have a ladder and the wood outside."

"I could do it," Cloud blurted. "I mean, you know, it's, dangerous or…whatever."

"Really?" Aeris asked, lifting a thin eyebrow. "I can do it myself you know, I'm stronger than I look."

"I know, I just…I want to," Cloud said.

"Hm…alright then." Aeris turned and swung the too box into Cloud's chest. "Get to work, 'boss'," she grinned.

"What about you?" Cloud asked.

"I brought my laptop and set it up in the back room, so I'm going to go work on the speech," Aeris said brightly. Cloud blushed. How did she manage to get away with this? Suddenly, he realized he already knew.

"Right," he said, as Aeris left. "I'm going to…uh…yeah…" Cloud sighed and carried the toolbox out of the church, going around to the side of the building. Sure enough, about five or six two-by-fours were stacked next to a ladder leaning against the roof. Cloud looked up the ladder and began climbing.

Why was he doing this? Sure, Aeris was his friend…good friend…that he occasionally had intimate dreams about. Cloud blushed. The dreams and fantasies that refused to stay buried had become a discomfortingly normal occurrence now. He didn't like that, but was losing his resolve against fighting these strange feelings. They weren't unpleasant, not in the slightest. And it wasn't just the sexual side of their relationship anymore; Cloud just liked having her around now.

A word that started with "L" and wasn't like, flitted at his mind, and he batted it away. He didn't love Aeris, it was impossible. Any relationship he could possibly desire from her beyond friendship was doomed from multiple directions. And that was assuming he wanted any sort of romantic relationship with her in the first place. And he didn't. Nope, not in the slightest. Cloud set down the toolbox and climbed back down the ladder, grabbing two of the planks of wood.

Still, she had talked him into fixing the roof of the church for her. Well, that wasn't true, he had volunteered. And now that he was up here, Cloud realized he didn't know a thing about woodworking. He looked at the weak part of the roof and thought for a moment. Common sense, right? Just nail the boards down over top the weak spot. How hard could that be?

Cloud opened the tool box and pulled out a hammer. He leafed through the box a bit, and found a box of nails. He pulled out and held it against the plank of wood. It seemed long enough to go through. He judged the size of the spot where the roof was weak and set the plank down where it seemed it would go. Cloud held the nail down against the wood in the corner, and settled the hammer down over it.

With a bang, Cloud slammed the hammer into the nail, and winced as pain shot up his fingers. Moving his fingers farther down from the head of the nail, he banged again, and the nail sunk into the wood. Cloud smirked. Not hard at all. He banged three more times, and sat back to admire his handiwork. Piece of cake. Cloud grabbed a second nail and hammered it in on the other corner. It went in with three strokes this time instead of four. Cloud grabbed a third nail and adjusted his position, leaning forward to reach the far end of the wood piece. Cloud held the nail down, hefted the hammer, and banged. The nail went in, and he hit again.

There was a loud crack, and Cloud fell forward as he lost his balance. He lay against the roof, furrowing his brow as he heard a long, slow creak. Cloud thought for a moment, and his eyes went wide as he realized what the sound meant.

With a second loud crack, the roof fell apart around him, and Cloud cried out as he tumbled forward through the hole, falling to the church floor amid the rubble. He landed heavily on his back with a groan. His vision blurred, and Cloud blacked out.

* * *

"That's going to bruise, bad."

Cloud winced as he felt pain shoot through his body. He opened his eyes to stare up at a blinding white light, with a pair of bright green eye staring down at him. He felt soft fingers brush his hair, and heard someone sigh.

"M…mom?" he whispered. The voice gasped, and the hand on his hair and forehead pulled back. "Am I in heaven?"

"Not for another fifty, sixty years, Cloud."

"Huh?"

Cloud blinked, and his vision cleared to see Aeris kneeling over him, looking at him concerned.

"Oh…it's you," he muttered, closing his eyes.

"Don't sound disappointed," Aeris scolded. "You took a really bad fall, you feel pain anywhere?"

"You mean besides everywhere? No."

"Any body part you can't move?"

"They all seem okay to me."

"Good, that means you probably didn't break anything, but we have to go to the hospital and make sure."

"We do?" Cloud asked, sitting up and wincing. He felt incredibly sore and would likely spend the next few days discovering bruises over his body. But nothing indicated to him a serious injury.

"Yes, you may have internal injuries. I called a cab on my cell, we can take it there, okay?" Aeris said. "Come on, I'll help you to the door." She slipped Cloud's arm over her shoulder and helped him climb to his feet. The two walked to the door of the church, and Cloud let out a small grunt.

"Sorry I broke the roof," he muttered.

"Actually…" Aeris stopped and turned her head. "I think it looks better that way." Cloud turned his head and saw what she meant. The roof of the church had fallen away, letting the beams of sunlight fall directly on the garden before the altar, illuminating them. Aeris seemed to have cleared away the rubble that had fallen with him.

"Yeah…it does," he agreed.

* * *

"You got very lucky, Mr. Strife," Dr. Lugae lectured, holding up X-rays of his chest against the light. "You have a lot of bruises, including maybe a bruised rib, but nothing is broken and there appear to be no internal injuries. Overall, you may be a bit stiff and sore for the next few days, but you'll be fine by next week."

"That's good," Cloud mumbled, closing his eyes. "I got a hell of a migraine too."

"Naturally," Dr. Lugae nodded, reaching into his pocket. "Here, these will help the headaches and dull the pain." He held out a blister packet with six round pills, which Cloud took. "Take one a day to stop the pain, they make some patients sleepy and maybe even a little loopy, but that's normal. If you find you're feel like you need more than one, then you can try a second, but if that doesn't help come back in, under no circumstances should you need three pills a day."

"Great," Cloud nodded. "Can I take one now?"

"Not one of these, I'm going to give you something a little stronger for the first time." Dr. Lugae crossed to the sink and grabbed a paper cup, and held it under the faucet. "So how did this happen again?"

"He was working on the roof, fell through and hit two stories," Aeris said from the chair against the wall. Cloud was grateful she had come, he kept feeling woozy and she had helped him keep his balance and walk into the room.

"Really? That's incredible," Dr. Lugae mused, handing Cloud his water and a second pill, a larger pink-tinted one different from the ones in the packet. Cloud took the pill from the doctor and popped it into his mouth. "You could have easily killed yourself with a fall like that, broken your neck if you had fallen wrong," he continued as Cloud raised the cup of water to his lips. "Your boyfriend is a lucky man, Miss Gainsborough."

Cloud dropped his cup and pill packet and sprayed water over the floor as he coughed, the now slightly gooey pink pill falling from his lips. Aeris' face turned red as Dr. Lugae turned to Cloud. He patted him on the back as Cloud swallowed and gasped.

"He's…not my boyfriend," Aeris said nervously, running a hand through her bangs.

"O, oh," Dr. Lugae stuttered. "My apologies, you two just seemed close is all."

"She's my secretary," Cloud choked out.

"Ah." Dr. Lugae grabbed the fallen pill packet from where Cloud had let go of it and wiped it off on the sleeve of his coat. "What to try that again?" he asked, getting a second cup beside the sink.

"Sure," Cloud nodded.

* * *

"Daisy, daisy, give me…I dunno the words after that," Cloud admitted, rubbing his eyes. "Do you?"

"Not really," Aeris lied, not wanting Cloud to continue his off-key singing. Dr. Lugae had assured her the pink pill was a much stronger medication than the pills in the blister packet, so they wouldn't do _this _to him. The pill had started to kick in on the cab ride to Cloud's apartment. First he had claimed it didn't hurt, then he claimed he felt light. Then he had started being amazed at the idea of street lights.

"Come on, a few more steps," Aeris said, coaxing Cloud down the hall. Cloud dragged his feet a bit as Aeris helped him to the door of his apartment, and knocked on the door. A few minutes later, Tifa pulled it open.

"Yo," Cloud waved.

"What happened?" Tifa gasped, lifting a hand to examine the large bruise on Cloud's forehead.

"He fell through a roof, long story," Aeris said. "He's okay, just going to be sore for a few days."

"Yeah, uh…" Cloud fumbled in his pocket and held up the blister packet. "The doctor said these pills'll make me feel better, but I don't think they're working yet."

"Oh, I'm sure they are," Aeris replied. "They gave him a stronger dose in the hospital, he won't be like this all the time."

"Okay, good," Tifa smiled.

"Cloud?" Aeris said. Cloud turned to her, and Aeris snapped a few times to get him to focus. "Tifa is going to take you inside, and you're going to have a nap, okay?"

"I'm not tired."

"Yes you are."

"….m'kay."

"Thanks for helping him," Tifa said, taking Cloud's arm and helping him hobble over the doorstep.

"Hey!" Cloud said suddenly, looking at Tifa. "You're that chick who's the chick that's my chick-friend, right?"

"Something like that," Tifa nodded. "You want to come in for a coffee or something?"

"No thanks, but I'd like to come tomorrow, check on him," Aeris said.

"Sure." Tifa closed the door as Aeris began to walk towards the elevators, and lead a mumbling Cloud to the bedroom.

"Okay Cloud, take a nap," she said, leading him to the bed. Cloud suddenly pulled away.

"No!" he whined, sounding like a child. "I ain't tired!"

"Cloud, don't make me put you to sleep," Tifa threatened.

"Oh yeah?" Cloud lifted a hand and pointed at Tifa's nose. "What're you, a girl, gonna do to a guy?" Tifa scowled and brought a hand up to Cloud's chest. The blond cried out as Tifa pushed him back onto the bed.

"Now take a nap, sleep it off and we'll have dinner if you wake up in time," Tifa said.

"Alright…" Cloud mumbled, turning onto his side. Tifa paused at the door of the bedroom and looked back at him.

"Good night, Cloud," she called, walking down the hall.

"G'nite Aeris."

Tifa froze in mid-step at Cloud's response, and whirled around and walked back to the bedroom.

"Cloud?" she asked, staring at him. Cloud snored in response.

**What can I say, but…fun with painkillers. :D**


	12. Chapter 12

New Love

Chapter 12

"Yo!"

Cloud snapped his eyes opened and looked up to see Aeris looking down at him, arms crossed. He ignored the slight emphasize the pose was placing on rather tempting portions of her body, and tried to look her in the eye. That was almost as bad, but not quite.

"What?"

"You dozed off while I was talking," Aeris said. "Am I that boring?"

"Uh…no?"

"Right answer, deductions for hesitation though," Aeris wagged her finger, and Cloud rolled his eyes.

"Sorry, those damn painkillers…make me sleepy," he explained, rubbing his eyes. "You were saying?"

"The Hojo client is coming in tomorrow, so try to stay awake, the meeting is first thing in the morning," Aeris recited. "Also, Rufus sends his 'regards' for the report you did for him, he received it this morning and will look over it later."

"Great, thanks," Cloud yawned.

"You okay? Sleeping well lately?" Aeris asked, frowning. Cloud thought for a moment. The previous night he had dreamt about Aeris again.

"Yeah, slept fine."

"Good," Aeris nodded, heading back to her office. Cloud watched her go, his eyes straying to her hips. He forced himself to look away. He had come to accept with some hesitation, his attraction to her, but for obvious reasons kept his desires secret.

Cid's words kept playing in his mind. Cloud couldn't deny it, his attraction to Aeris was based on more than just physical responses. He was happy to be around her, she confused him, she helped him, she could make him look like an idiot and make him laugh about a moment later. On a physical level, Cloud wanted her, but on the emotional level, he wanted to be with her.

Cloud's eyes narrowed as he thought about that. Tifa. His girlfriend, whom he loved and he knew she loved him back. Could someone really love two people at once? He had thought it just something from romance novels and bad movies, but it seemed possible after all. Cloud had no desire to lose Tifa from his life, and he didn't want to lose Aeris either. But he certainly couldn't pursue a relationship with Aeris while dating Tifa, he wasn't a cheater and he knew Aeris would never agree to such a thing. But he couldn't just bury his feelings for Aeris and go on with his life. The bubbly brunette had awakened something in him he didn't know he had, and he had no desire to turn away from it. Something had to be done, one way or the other.

"I need an outside opinion," he thought aloud. He looked at the clock. Lunch was in an hour. Maybe…Cid had said he wasn't suited to helping him, and that by association left out Barret. Beyond them and Tifa, there was only one person Cloud could trust for help. He reached over and picked up the phone and dialed the number. It picked up after two rings.

"Hello."

"H, hey, it's Cloud," Cloud said.

"Hello Cloud."

"I was wondering if you could have lunch with me, I have to talk to someone."

"And it is not something we could discuss over the phone?"

"Not really."

"Hm. Very well. Name the time and place."

"Nino's Café, in a hour."

"As you wish."

Cloud set down the phone and went back to his work.

* * *

"Yeah, slept fine."

"Good," Aeris nodded, heading back to her office. She clicked the door closed behind her and sat down in her desk, blushing. She found it harder and harder these days not to egg Cloud on like that. She supposed it was a little mean of her, but she couldn't help it. He just always seemed so much fun to joke with. Oddly though, he seemed to be getting more and more edgy around her. She didn't like it.

Aeris thought about what Rinoa had implied a few days ago. The possible that Cloud could be infatuated with her terrified her. It wasn't that he wasn't a nice guy, had he not been attached Aeris would have been flattered. But any conceivable affections Cloud might have entertained for her were held in check by the small matter of his girlfriend. Tifa changed things. Had Cloud not be attached, maybe…

"Did I really just think that?" Aeris stopped her typing and stared at her computer screen, her face twisted in a small scowl. Tifa wasn't some sort of romantic rival or an obstacle to get rid of. She was her friend, Cloud's girlfriend, and a good person. Still…Aeris bit her lip. Cloud _was_ handsome, and hard working and intelligent. If he had been single, had they met outside the office, then maybe…

"This is stupid, why am I even thinking about this?" Aeris asked herself. There was no point entertaining any such notions, they would inevitably go unfulfilled.

"_Perhaps you wish they wouldn't…?"_

"Don't be silly," Aeris scolded her thoughts, narrowing her eyes. "Cloud is a friend, nothing more."

"Yes, as you've noted, a handsome, intelligent, hard working friend…"

"Who is also my boss and who is attached to a very nice girlfriend."

"And if he weren't?"

"I…I don't know."

"_You like him."_

"Of course I do, Cloud is my friend."

"_No, you _like_ him."_

Aeris opened her mouth to reply, and scrunched up her face as she struggled to reply to her own accusations. She couldn't think of anything. She settled for biting her lip again and sitting silently.

* * *

Cloud fiddled with his coffee cup as he waited in the small café, waiting his guest. He looked up at the door and sighed, going back to his cup and sipping. The chair opposite him at the table squeaked, and Cloud lifted his eyes as a man in a dark red jacket coat with a black sweater sat down.

"Hello Cloud," the man said, pulling in his chair.

"Hey Vincent," Cloud replied, lifting his hand. "A decaf latte, right?"

"Thank you," Vincent nodded. Cloud lifted his hand to signal the attendant at the counter, and she nodded. "So, why did you call me here?" Vincent asked.

"No small talk?"

"No need. This visit is about you, not me."

Cloud nodded, conceding the point. Vincent had never been one for banter. When he spoke, it was because he had something to say, if not, he remained silent and listened. Small talk and normal conversation were not always options when speaking with him. Vincent was a psychology major that had met Cloud through his work. Vincent had said that it was a small joke among some psychologists and psychiatrists that they were more bizarre and eccentric than the patients. For Vincent, Cloud had to agree.

"Right, um…okay," Cloud took a breath. "I need someone to speak to about this about, but Cid and Barret lack the…um…"

"Tact?"

"Yeah," Cloud said. "Okay, Vincent…you know I love Tifa, right?"

"Of course."

"Right, but…" Cloud leaned closer. "I'm lusting after my secretary!"

"Hm." Vincent calmly sipped his drink before continuing. "Please elaborate."

"Her name is Aeris, Vincent, she's…god. She's gorgeous, she's smart, funny, hard working, sweet, caring, innocent…and I haven't been able to stop thinking about her since I met her."

"Interesting," Vincent said. "So your attraction to her was immediate?"

"No, not exactly…" Cloud looked down at his coffee. "I had a dream about her, a…very physical dream. And the next day, I just started seeing her in a way I hadn't before."

"Hm. Sudden realization of sexual attraction is not at all uncommon. Go on."

"Well, now…I can't get her out of my head, and it's affecting my relationship with Tifa. Vincent, it's just so complicated now, I don't know what to do."

"I disagree. Your situation seems quite simple."

"Huh?" Cloud lifted his head.

"You love Tifa, but you are _in_ love with Aeris," Vincent said simply. Cloud lifted an eyebrow.

"What's the difference?" he asked.

"Your relationship with Tifa is based on security. As your life-long friend you are drawn to her because she represents the familiar, the safe and the sublime. However, Aeris, at least the way you have described her, is presenting to you new experiences and emotions that Tifa does not present, and you find them pleasant. Aeris gives you passion and excitement, while Tifa gives you stability. You are attracted to them both for opposite, but entirely valid reasons. They each offer you something you enjoy and wish to have in a long-term relationship."

Vincent finished his explanation, and Cloud thought for several moments, turning over the man's words in his mind.

"Uh…huh," he said. "So what should I do? I mean, I don't want to turn my back on Aeris, but I don't want to start having an affair with her."

"Technically speaking, you already _are_ having an affair with her," Vincent stated. "Tell me, would it be incorrect to assume you find it easier to speak to Aeris than you do Tifa."

"Yeah."

"Even about things you could talk to her about but don't?"

"Yeah, why?"

"That is an emotional affair. It occurs when you share emotions, thoughts and feelings with one woman you feel you cannot share with your partner. Emotional affairs are not uncommon, but they can damage a relationship with a partner just as much as a physical affair. Emotional affairs can also be primary influences on what develops into a physical affair."

"…like me."

"Yes, in your current state you _are_ having an emotional affair with Aeris, and with your budding attraction to her you now desire a physical relationship with her."

"So, should I break up with Tifa or something?" Cloud asked. "I mean, I don't want to, but…I have to do something."

"I agree, but it is not my place to tell you what, even if I could which I cannot. As I said, Tifa and Aeris both offer you desirable qualities in relationships. Aeris offers the emotional aspect, while Tifa…when was the last time you made love with her?" Vincent asked suddenly. Cloud blushed.

"Um…" he thought. "It was a Sunday…just before…" he trailed off as he remembered.

"Aeris started working for you," Vincent nodded. "I thought as much. Aeris offers you emotional gratification that is supplementing physical gratification. Tifa could conceivably offer both these things, but yet you are not receiving them. What Tifa does offer you is a stable relationship, but that is something that could possibly be found with Aeris."

"So…are you saying, that…maybe I should be with Aeris?" Cloud asked. Vincent stood up.

"Had you been single, Cloud, I would tell you to take that chance," he said. "However, you are not, and I cannot advise a man to cheat on his girlfriend, no matter what the situation. But if you chose to pursue a relationship with Aeris…I would not fault you for it." Cloud let out a breath.

"There's no easy way out of this, is there?" he muttered.

"No," Vincent shook his head. "No matter what you do or don't do, someone, yourself included, will be hurt. Nothing can change that. My only advice, Cloud, is that, whatever decision you make, you make it very, very carefully."

* * *

Cloud stepped off the elevators, blinking sleepily. The night had not been pleasant. He had spent the evening in a trance and, unable to sleep, he had gotten up and looked around the apartment, tokens of his life and Tifa's everywhere. He had also tried to speak to her during the day, and his efforts to strike up a true conversation had failed. And everywhere he looked, in spite of the life they had built together, Cloud couldn't help but notice that they were also building lives apart. Different DVDs, different CDs, different users on his computer, different books and magazines, different items in the fridge…

_"I barely even know her anymore…or did I ever really? Does she even know me anymore?" _he thought, walking down the hall. Was Vincent right? Was Aeris offering the emotional connection he wasn't getting from Tifa? Had he, without even knowing it, become more comfortable spending time with his secretary than he had with his girlfriend? When had he unknowingly transformed her into "the other woman"?

"Cloud!" Cloud lifted his head as Aeris jogged down the hall. "You're late!"

"Sorry, overslept," Cloud mumbled, walking down the hall with her.

"Cloud, wait, the Ho-"

"Aeris, right now I just want to get to my desk, sit down and chug a deep mug of coff…" Cloud trailed off as he rounded the corner, and stopped. Standing before the closed door to his office was a man. He leaned against the wall in a long black coat buttoned up that reached past his knees. Long silver trailed down his back, falling against the wall and reaching his waist. As Cloud stopped, he lifted his head and turned slim green eyes down the hall.

"About time," the man said coolly, standing upright and uncrossing his arms. "Cloud Strife, I presume."

"Yes," Cloud nodded.

"Hmph. I am Sephiroth Hojo. I believe you've been expecting me today."

Sephiroth turned his eyes to look beside Cloud. The blond stared as Aeris leaned up behind him to his ear.

"As I was saying," she whispered, "your meeting with Sephiroth started ten minutes ago."

**Oh, dear, dear…dear readers…do not miss the next chapter. I promise if you do, you will regret it. –evil grin–**


	13. Chapter 13

New Love

**I had lots of fun with Sephiroth's dialogue here, but, oh ho ho ho…I doubt you readers will care by the time you're done reading…**

Chapter 13

"Um, here, I hope is suitable," Cloud said, opening the door to the small conference room. Sephiroth followed him inside and sat down, setting down a small briefcase on the table. He folded his arms and watched silently as Cloud fumbled with the two file folders he had hastily grabbed from his office, searching through them for a sheet of paper. Cloud found what he wanted and pulled it out, sliding it across the table from Sephiroth.

"This, I believe, in the contract we faxed you," Cloud said.

"Hmph," Sephiroth grunted, picking up the paper and reading it over. As Cloud tried to compose himself, Aeris tapped his on the shoulder.

"You said you wanted a coffee?" she whispered. Cloud nodded.

"The usual," he replied.

"I would also appreciate a drink," Sephiroth said, not looking up from the contract. Cloud turned to watch him as Aeris nodded.

"Of course, Mr. Hojo. How do you take it?" she asked.

"Whatever Mr. Strife finds suitable, I am sure is good enough for me," Sephiroth said, lifting an eye to look at Aeris. Aeris nodded and left the room, closing the door behind her. Sephiroth looked back down at the contract Cloud had given him. The two sat in silence as Sephiroth read. Finally, he set the contract down on the table and clasped his hands together, locking his feline gaze on Cloud.

"I have looked over this contract several times. As I understand it, this deal will allow Shinra franchises to sell Hojo-brand alcohols in their stores as third-party suppliers, and a percentage of the profits will be passed along to me," Sephiroth said.

"Exactly," Cloud nodded. "This will give the Hojo brand a much larger and more varied customer base that will increase your profits exponentially."

"So it would appear, at first glance. However, it seems math is not your strong suit. This contract also shifts costs for shipping to the Shinra stores, to my company. In tandem with the fee Shinra will be charging for usage of their franchises…the profit margins of my company would increase by less than two percent, at best."

"Two percent?" Cloud muttered. "That can't be right, I was sure the deal would result in a seven percent increase for you. I calculated it myself."

"And as I said, it seems math is not your strong suit," Sephiroth said coldly. "So unless you wish to backtrack and explain yourself, I would like to know how large a fool you think I am, that you can cheat me so."

"Sorry, let me see this," Cloud said, taking the contract and reading it over. He could have sworn he had done the calculations right, but looking over the contract, it seemed Sephiroth was right. Had he signed the contract, his company would be getting the short end of the deal.

"I…don't know what to say," Cloud admitted. "This is the contract I sent to my boss, and he authorized…" Cloud trailed off. Rufus. He must have changed the contract. Cloud scowled as he realized his boss, the very person who wanted the Hojo contract, may have cost him the deal.

"It seems I've wasted my time here," Sephiroth said. Cloud looked up as Sephiroth stood from his chair.

"Wait!" Cloud protested, standing himself. Sephiroth stopped closing his briefcase and lifted his eyes. "Mr. Hojo, I apologize for this mistake, but if you'll hear me out I'm sure we can come to a new agreement that will satisfy you," Cloud said. Sephiroth waited for a moment, then slid back his sleeve to look at his watch.

"Hmph. Well, I did schedule an hour here," he said. "Very well. I will hear what you have to say. Best make it interesting." Sephiroth sat back down, and Cloud let out a breath and followed suit.

"Ah, well Mr. Hojo, as I'm sure you are aware, Shina Inc. operates over five hundred stores in forty-four states nationwide, and takes in over seven billion dollars a year," Cloud began. "It's a statistically proven fact that products sold in Shinra stores can experience profits as large as seven times that of what they would make operating independently. And, when you take into consideration the reputation your company already has, I'm sure you'll see that-"

"You're an amusing little puppet, did you know that?"

Cloud stopped and blinked to see Sephiroth cross his arms, his eyes cold but the corner of his mouth twitching into a smirk.

"E-excuse me?" Cloud muttered.

"You sit there spitting out statistics and claims as if they were rehearsed," Sephiroth sneered. "Have you no mind of your own, or is Shinra's medical plan truly so good, that they've removed your spine so easily? I told you to make what you had to say interesting. You're failing miserably."

"I…ah…don't know what to say to that," Cloud admitted.

"Of course you don't," Sephiroth said. "Tell me, have you ever done _anything_ of your own motivations, or do you need me to tell what to say to get me to sign that contract? Do you always act like you need others to tell you what to do?"

"I do indeed have the capacity to make my own decisions, Mr. Hojo," Cloud said, growing irritated.

"Then stop spouting such drivel and actually try speaking," Sephiroth ordered. Cloud opened his mouth to respond, when the door to the room opened. Aeris came in with a small tray, two coffee mugs on it.

"Here you are, Mr. Hojo," she said, setting the tray on the table. "I hope my own mug is acceptable, it's the only one beside Mr. Strife's we have." Sephiroth picked up the coffee mug and peered at the flower field of white and yellow flowers. Cloud took a drink from his own mug and waited for Sephiroth to follow suit.

"I care for function, not aesthetics," Sephiroth replied, taking a drink from the mug. He set it down and nodded. "It's quite good, Ms…"

"Gainsborough, Mr. Hojo, sir. Aeris Gainsborough."

"Hmph. Then Ms. Gainsborough, thank you for the coffee."

"Of course, sir." Aeris gave a small bow, and Sephiroth watched with a small smirk. Cloud cleared his throat, and Sephiroth turned his gaze to him, any hint of amusement vanishing.

"Ah yes, the puppet was speaking, how rude of me," he said, turning his head. Cloud stifled the rising urge to strangle the man and focused on what he had to do. Rufus would have his job is he lost the Hojo contract. He couldn't let that happen.

"Let's just cut to the chase," Cloud growled. "What would it take to get your name on that contract?"

"Try exhibiting independent thought," Sephiroth said. "But something tells me that your ability to do that lies right above your math skills."

"Did I…miss something?" Aeris asked, giving Sephiroth a confused look. Sephiroth turned his attention back on her.

"Not at all, Ms. Gainsborough. Before you arrived, however, Mr. Strife was demonstrating what a good tool he was, reciting Shinra's qualifications like he were reading from a script. You work with him, tell me, has he always taken orders so easily?"

"Actually in my experience, Mr. Strife is very intelligent, and considering-"

"Don't call him that," Sephiroth cut off. "You called him 'Cloud', when you greeted him earlier."

"Ah…yes, I did," Aeris nodded. "Well, as I was saying, Cloud is quite intelligent. Truth be told, Mr. Shinra is quite overbearing and demanding. It's amazing Cloud is able to handle the workload he has, and with the level of professionalism he does, too. He seems a bit odd at times, but I assure you, Mr. Hojo, Cloud is a hard and competent worker. He does take orders often, but with the way Rufus treats him, he sorta has to if he'd like to remain employed here."

"It's also amazing you can talk about Cloud like that when I'm _sitting right here,_" Cloud grated. Sephiroth sipped his coffee and ignored him. Aeris, however, tossed him a gaze and a small shrug.

"Thank you for your analysis, Ms. Gainsborough," Sephiroth said. "It's good to know that someone in here has more than half a brain besides me."

"Um…thank you," Aeris mumbled. Cloud's hand on the edge of the table tightened on the wood as Sephiroth took another drink.

"If Mr. Hojo is quite finished…" he muttered.

"I believe I am, yes," Sephiroth nodded. "And I have reached a decision regarding this…'contract', Cloud."

"Oh?" Cloud asked, lifting an eyebrow at the usage of his name.

"Yes," Sephiroth nodded. "I find these terms acceptable, though not necessarily flattering. So, I will sign this contract, on one condition. You want me to sign this, but if I sign, you must oblige something _I_ want."

"And what would that be?" Cloud asked. Sephiroth locked eyes with him.

"Her."

"Huh?" Aeris gasped.

"Excuse me?" Cloud echoed.

"If. Ms. Gainsborough agrees to come work for me as my secretary, then I shall gladly sign this contract," Sephiroth explained, turning his attentions back to Aeris. Aeris blinked.

"Ah, Mr. Hojo, I-"

"Absolutely not!"

Sephiroth and Aeris turned to see Cloud on his feet, his hands slammed down on the table as he glared at Sephiroth. The silver-haired man rose to his full height from his chair, towering over Cloud by a good six-inches. Cloud still glared at him. Sephiroth's shoulders shook as he turned his head away.

"Well," Sephiroth chuckled, "you have a backbone after all."

"No kidding," Cloud muttered. "I hate to break this to you, _Sephiroth_, but unlike your company and workers, you don't just get to barge in here and demand whatever you like from us and expect to get it. Aeris is _my_ friend and co-worker, and if the terms of that contract aren't sufficient to pad your wallet until it's as fat as your head, then we have nothing more here to discuss except how to get you out of here as quickly as possible."

Aeris stared at Cloud wide-eyed, her mouth hanging open. She didn't even think Cloud was capable of speaking to clients like that. Sephiroth had his arms crossed over his broad chest, glaring down at Cloud. Cloud leaned back slightly and sucked in a breath, maintaining the silent staring contest.

Finally, Sephiroth unfolded his arms, and slowly clapped his hands together. Twice, three times.

"Well done, Cloud," he said, closing his eyes. "It appears I've underestimated you. My apologies."

"If you're going to try and subdue me with flattery, it won't work," Cloud replied. "All you've done since you got here is insult me. If you want to be able to do that without retaliation then go back to your own company. Here, either start discussing solutions to our little contract problem, or leave."

Sephiroth fell silent again, then reached down to lift the contract and re-read it. Cloud and Aeris waited as he did so, and Sephiroth finally set it back on the table and lifted his eyes to Cloud.

"Half," he muttered.

"What?"

"If Shinra agrees to split the costs of shipping with my company and pay half of the fees, then the terms of this contract are otherwise acceptable," Sephiroth said.

"You're serious?" Cloud asked cautiously. Sephiroth gave a sharp nod. "Done," Cloud said simply, returning the nod. "We'll draw up the new contract and have it faxed to you by Friday."

"Excellent," Sephiroth said, standing up. "I look forward to doing business with Shinra, Cloud." He held out his hand, and after a moment Cloud took and shook it.

"Good to have you on board, Mr. Hojo," he said as Sephiroth headed towards him. Sephiroth stopped as he opened the door and turned his head to Cloud.

"I will admit, you're quite audacious to speak to me as you have, Cloud," he said. "But I respect men who stand tall against their betters. When the time comes, that we should meet again…do not disappoint me."

A small smile graced Sephiroth's features as he left the room, letting the door swing closed behind him. Cloud stared at the door blankly.

"He left," Aeris said. Cloud nodded, then let out a cry and spun, wrapping Aeris in a hug.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I did that!" he cried over her shoulder.

"I know," Aeris laughed. "He looked ready to maim you!" Cloud pulled his head back and grinned down at her.

"But it worked, goddamn, it worked!" he said. "He's gonna sign with us! Rufus is gonna be happy!"

"Rufus can be happy?"

"He will now!" Cloud hugged Aeris again, letting out a chuckle. Aeris patted Cloud on the back with a smile.

"How come you got so angry when he asked me to work for him?" she asked. Cloud's eyes widened slightly, and he pulled back.

"Oh…well, I, ah…just like having you here," he replied. "You mean too much to me to lose to someone else, Aeris."

"Cloud…" Aeris blushed slightly and lowered her head. Cloud blinked as he watched her, and she lifted her head again. "Anyway, we have to…Cloud?" she asked. "You okay?" Cloud didn't hear her – Sephiroth's words replayed in his mind.

_"Tell me, have you ever done anything of your own motivations?"_

"Watch me," Cloud whispered.

"Huh?" Aeris replied. Cloud's response was to close his eyes and duck his head down to press his lips against her.

His hands gently held her shoulders, light enough to let her pull away if she tried. But to his surprise, Aeris did no such thing, but she didn't return the kiss eagerly either. She more or less held still as Cloud kissed her, savoring the sweetness he had dreamt about a tad too many times over the past weeks. After a moment, he pulled back, and Aeris stared up at him blankly. Cloud met her gaze, unwilling and unable not to face her after what he was done.

In fact, he was so busy watching her face twist into a mask of fury, he didn't see her hand coming out.

_SMACK_

Cloud's head snapped to the side as Aeris slapped him across the face. He held there for a moment, registering what happened. When it hit him, he calmly let out a breath.

" I deserve that," he said.

"You damn right you do!" Aeris hissed. Cloud turned back to her in surprise. He'd never heard Aeris swear before. Aeris' hands clenched and unclenched at her sides as her mouth moved, trying to speak.

"Yes?" Cloud prompted. Aeris slowly shook her head.

"Do you have…anything, to say?" she asked.

"I'd be lying if I said I was sorry," Cloud said. Aeris' hand came back up, and Cloud braced himself for another hit. Instead, Aeris pointed her finger at him.

"You…have a girlfriend," she said slowly. "And I…will not do this." Aeris marched past Cloud and opened the door. She stepped out, but stopped in the doorframe. "If you have any decency left, you'll tell Tifa," she ordered, not looking back. "And if you don't, I will."

* * *

Cloud took the walk down the hall slowly, his eyes cast down. Aeris had stepped out by the time he had composed himself and returned to his desk, and he has spent the rest of the day alone in the office. He was telling the truth, he knew it had been wrong to kiss her, but looking back, he didn't regret doing it. And Aeris was right – Tifa had to be told. Cloud took out his key as he reached the door to their apartment, and noticed the door ajar.

"Yeah, just called it," Tifa said as Cloud walked inside. She had on her shoes and coat, and a closed suitcase stood against the wall. "Yup, be there as soon as I can," Tifa said into the phone. She hung up and noticed Cloud. "Oh, you're home just in time!" she exclaimed, standing up.

"What's going on?" Cloud asked. Tifa gave him an odd look as she grabbed her purse from the table.

"Cloud, Zangan and I are headed out of state for an exhibition, I've told you I-don't-know-how-many-times," she said.

"Oh…when will you be back?"

"Monday," Tifa said, grabbing a plane ticket from on top of the television.

"Um…look, I have to talk to you about something?"

"Is it quick?"

"Not really?"

"Well, can we do this over the phone when I get to the hotel tomorrow?" Tifa asked, picking up her suitcase.

"Tifa, really," Cloud protested.

"I'm sorry Cloud, the taxi is coming, don't worry, we'll talk when I get back," she said, kissing his cheek. "Love ya!" she called, running down the hall. Cloud watched her jog as the door slowly closed behind her. It slammed shut, the thud echoing in the apartment. Cloud's shoulders slumped as he walked into the apartment and fell back onto the sofa.

He'd never felt more alone.


	14. Chapter 14

New Love

**Let's take a break from the tension of the LT and take a page from the game. Get ready, we're diving deep, deep into Cloud's character now. Take a breath. Otherwise, this chapter is a bit shorter. Sue me.**

Chapter 14

_"Gone insane yet?"_

"Does contemplating suicide count?"

_"Bad times, huh?"_

"Simply put, I'm in hell."

Cloud waited for Barret to answer on the phone as he made his admittance. It was Thursday night, and the day had been a living hell.

First, whatever semblance of friendship he and Aeris had once had was gone. Referring to him as "Mr. Strife", Aeris had done anything and everything she could to avoid any sort of contact with him, while still doing her job and duties. After getting the cold shoulder from her all day, Cloud had come home to a dark, empty apartment, devoid of Tifa and any warmth her presence brought the place. Cloud couldn't remember the last time he had felt so miserable. One of the women in his life was gone, and the other was doing her best to pretend he didn't exist. The only time Aeris had spoken to him about non-work related topics was to ask if he had done as she said – Cloud had told her Tifa had left the apartment before he could and was out of town. She hadn't been happy to hear that.

"Barret, are you sure you can't come over, I need human contact," Cloud pleaded, only half-joking.

_"Sorry pal, spending time with the missus. Hey, we'll hang tomorrow, a'ight?"_

"Sure, see ya," Cloud droned, hanging up. He thought for a moment. He couldn't call Vincent, Cid was always grading papers in the evening, and he didn't really know anyone else. Cloud thought some more, the picked up the phone and dialed a number he knew by heart, but hadn't called in months. It picked up after two rings.

_"Hello?"_

"Hey…it's me."

_"Oh, hello Cloud."_

"Hi Mom."

* * *

Cloud pulled into the driveway of the small, single-story house in the suburbs, getting out and locking his door behind him. With a look up at the home he hadn't been too since Christmas, he walked up the steps and rapped on the door. It opened a moment later. The woman at the door had on a red sweater with a white apron and a matching skirt, with long blonde hair to her shoulders.

"Good to see you again, Cloud," Skye Strife smiled, stepping back. Cloud smiled sheepishly as he came inside. "I must admit, I was surprised to hear from you," Skye said, closing the door as Cloud slipped his shoes off onto the mat by the wall.

"Sorry I haven't called much lately," Cloud mumbled, hanging his coat on the coat rack.

"Nonsense, you're a grown man Cloud," Skye scolded. "All the same, come here," Skye held open her arms, and Cloud hugged her. "You're a man, but you're still my baby boy," Skye said, pulling back. Cloud blushed and followed you into the living room of her home. "Now," Skye sat down on the couch and pulled a half-knitted quilt from beside her, "you said on the phone you had a problem you had to talk about, hm?"

"Yeah," Cloud nodded, sitting on an easy chair across the table from the couch. His mother had a knack for understanding him like no one else ever had, not even Tifa or Aeris. But then, she _was_ his mother. Cloud supposed it came with the territory.

"Mom? What do you think of Tifa?"

"Tifa? She's a sweet girl, so nice," Skye smiled and looked up. "The memories of you two growing up…remember when they wouldn't let her on the baseball team at school, so you quit the team and played with her alone instead?"

"Yeah…" Cloud nodded, remembering the incident. "Okay, seriously…have you ever pictured us together for, like…you know, forever?" Syke stopped her knitting and looked up.

"Cloud, are you saying what I think you're saying?" she gaped.

"No, no no!" Cloud said hurriedly. "Not engagement, or anything!"

"Oh," Skye sighed. "And I'd so hoped to see my grandchildren someday…"

"Yeah," Cloud coughed. "Mom, I mean it. Do you think Tifa and I could ever, get married? I mean, hypothetically."

"Hypothetically?" Skye asked, thinking for a moment. "Hmmm….I should think so. She makes you happy, doesn't she?"

"I…don't know."

"You don't know if you're happy?"

"Well, I'm happy to be with her, but…Mom, I just…I just feel so…unfulfilled." Cloud saw his mother begin to open her mouth, but the dam had burst. "Is this it? I have a girlfriend, a good job, an apartment, now what? Do I just live out my life, buy a wedding ring, have a kid or two and wait for retirement? What next, is this all there is now? I'm not even thirty years old and my life already seems to be lining up in front of me waiting for me to live it. What if I don't want that? What if I don't want to work at Shinra, what if I don't want to be with Tifa? What if I want more than that, what if I want something else besides what I have now? What if I'm not happy, Mom? What then? What do I do?"

Cloud fell silent after his outburst, sitting there stunned. He had no idea where that had come from, but looking back…it made sense. He was content, certainly, but happy? When was the last time he'd really felt happy about his state of life?

"So, that's the problem," Skye whispered. "Do you really feel that way, Cloud?"

"I…yeah…yes," Cloud nodded. "Mom, I'm not happy. I'm not _un_happy, but I'm not happy either. This life I've built for myself, what is it's not enough? What if I don't want it?"

"Cloud, how did you end up working for Shinra?" Skye asked.

"You know that, Mom. There was an opening at a low-level job, I took it, caught the eye of my supervisor and got promoted."

"And why did you take the job? Did you want to work for Shinra?"

"No, but it paid well, there was potential for advancement, and I wanted money to move out with Tifa. It fit."

"And are you happy working for Shinra?" Skye asked. Cloud scrunched his face up.

"No. My boss is an ass, the work is boring, and I hate the clients we keep," he said bitterly.

"Then why do you work there?" Skye asked.

"…I don't know."

"And if you aren't entirely happy with Tifa, why are you still with her?"

"I don't know."

Skye sighed and put her knitting aside as Cloud hung his head. The sudden revelation that he was telling the truth was incredibly depressing. Had he really been living his life like this?

"Cloud, when I was in high school, there was a boy in my English class. My best friend Clair wanted him to ask her out. So she told me to try and become his friend and drop a hint to ask her. So I started eating lunch with him, and sitting next to him in class to talk to him," Skye said.

"So what happened, did he ask her out?" Cloud asked.

"Actually, he asked me out," Skye shrugged.

"Did you say yes?"

"I thought about it for a long time, I really did. I eventually told Clair I liked him too, and that he had asked me and I was going to say yes. And I did, and she hated me for it, never spoke to me again. I haven't heard from her in years."

"Was it worth it?"

"Well, I _did_ end up marrying him. You tell me," Skye smiled, giving Cloud a knowing look.

"That's a nice story, Mom, but what's that have to do with me?" Cloud asked. Skye clasped her hands.

"Cloud, there are people in this world that are going to expect you to act a certain way and do certain things. You can't make everyone happy, and it's a fool's errand to try. If you live your life trying to fulfill the expectations of others and neglect your own desires, you're going to end up miserable, alone and unfulfilled."

"Like I am now," Cloud muttered.

"I don't want to agree, but…" Skye didn't finish the sentence. "Cloud, what do you want? What type of job do you want, if not Shinra?"

"I've never really thought about it," Cloud admitted. "I guess…hm. Well…I'd also wondered what it would be like to be some sort of…architect."

"Well that's a perfectly fine career choice!" Skye declared. "Why not pursue it?"

"I…just haven't," Cloud said.

"And if you don't want to be with Tifa, is there someone else you'd like to be with?" Skye asked. Cloud just nodded. "Cloud, I'm not going to tell you how to live your life. But no one else should either. If you don't like the state of things, it's your job to change them. Take a stand for what you want, and you'll be amazed how well things can work out. You don't always get exactly what you want Cloud. But if you never try in the first place, you won't even come close. And I think you need to start trying, before it's too late in your life."

Cloud stood up, and lifted his head.

"It won't be easy though."

"It's never easy to achieve if it's worth achieving."

Cloud nodded. As always, she was right. He was tired of being bossed around by Rufus, of watching his life not go the way he wanted and not saying anything about it.

"Thanks, Mom."

"It's what I do sweetheart. Now did you want to stay for a while, or do you have to go?"

"I think I can stay for a bit."

* * *

Aeris yawned and looked over at the clock on her bedside. It was twenty minutes to eleven. She blinked and looked back at her crossword, biting on the tip of her pencil. Hm, four-letter word for 'wizard'…

The telephone by the bedside rang, and Aeris leaned over the check the caller ID. She recognized the number and let out a huff, sitting back and going back to her crossword. Four-letter word…the phone finally clicked to the answering machine.

"Hey, it's Aeris! I'm not here or busy right now, leave your message at the beep!" Aeris smiled and wrote down the answer on the puzzle as the machine beeped.

_"Hey, Aeris…it's Cloud. But you probably know that since you didn't pick up."_

"Bingo," Aeris muttered, going to the next word.

_"Look, I want to talk to you, but not over the phone, okay? Come into work tomorrow, we have to talk about this."_

"There's nothing _to_ talk about," Aeris said angrily, glaring at the phone.

_"So, I guess see ya tomorrow…please don't hate me, okay?"_

The line clicked, and Aeris' expression softened. She let out a breath and looked back at her crossword.

"I don't hate you, Cloud," she said under her breath, closing her eyes.

"That's the problem."

**There are three chapters I knew would make the Cleris fans happy. Last chapter was one of them. Chapter 7 was another. The next chapter is the third. :D**

**Also, gotta pimp my new, upcoming story! It's a Dissidia story featuring CloudxTerra, a new direction for me, but I had a good idea and am going with it. Stay tuned to author alert for more details!**


	15. Chapter 15

New Love

**It's aaaaaaaaaaall downhill from here. Let the build-up to the grand finale begin!**

**Ya know, I had two ideas for how to end this chapter, one that gave a bit of absolution, and another that left the chapter with a cliffy. Guess which ending I went with. –evil grin– **

**Young children are advised to navigate away from this page now. This story is rated "M" for a reason…**

Chapter 15

Cloud sighed and slurped his soup from the spoon, then dropped it back into the cup and stirred the broth. His work ended in less than an hour. Thus far, Aeris had avoided any and all attempts from him to discuss the forbidden kiss earlier in the week. And unfortunately, it was a Friday. Aeris would have a whole weekend to figure out a way to stay away from him, maybe even not come to work at all. If he didn't talk to her today, he feared he'd never be able to.

He'd been thinking, about what his mother had said. On a larger scale, he'd been thinking about what everyone said. No one person thus far had been able to give him an answer. Looking back, he realized they couldn't. They weren't him, they didn't understand what he was going through, they couldn't. There was no answer they could give. It was his decision to make, his choice.

_"Maybe Sephiroth was on to something," _Cloud thought, staring at his cup of soup. _"I'm always asking other people for help, for opinions…why can't I ever do anything on my own?"_ Cloud took another spoonful of soup and noodles and sipped. _"I guess now I have no choice. For better or worse, I have to do something. And I have to do it alone."_

Aeris walked through the doorway of the room, counting out change in her palm. Her bangs concealed her face as she walked past Cloud's table without a word. Cloud watched silently as she stopped in front of the vending machines and looked up at the rows of items behind the glass.

"Aeris," he called softly.

"Hmm, chips or chocolate…." Aeris mused, scrunching her nose. Cloud sighed. Aeris had been doing this all morning. Any conversation with her concerning work was stiff, formal and brief. Any other conversation that didn't regard work was one-sided.

"Aeris, please, just listen," Cloud asked.

"What the heck, chocolate," Aeris said, slipping her change into the machine. Cloud shook his head sadly and propped his head on his hand, staring down at the cup in front of him. There was a metallic whirl and a thud, and a moment later Cloud watched Aeris' shoes walk past his lowered field of vision.

_"You're putting him through hell, you know that," _Aeris' conscience chided as she sat back down at her desk.

_"I know," _Aeris let out a sigh as she tore the wrapping off the candy in her hand. " _"It's better this way. No risk, no danger, no kissing or any chance of things that could lead to kissing. It's for the best."_

_"Oh really?"_

Aeris narrowed her eyes and scowled. She wasn't going to argue with her own thoughts…no matter how much sense they were making. Any possible feelings she could ever conceivably harbor for Cloud were hindered by several glaring problems.

_"Such as…?"_

_"Well for one, he's got a girlfriend."_

_"Who's currently out of town, who knows, maybe he wants to break up with her."_

Aeris let out a huff. She hated herself for thinking such things. Tifa was a friend, not just someone who stood between her and Cloud, she couldn't think of her that way. All the same, the possibility of something happening teased the edges of her mind. Aeris absent-mindedly lifted a finger to his lips, remembering the kiss Cloud had given her mere days ago. She regretted her inaction during the moment.

_"Well, what would you have done if you had acted?" _her thoughts asked. _"Pushed him away, held him closer?" _Aeris didn't have an answer for that.

Back in the kitchen, Cloud finished his soup and carried his cup and spoon to the sink. He set them down and turned on the faucet to fill the cup with warm water.

"Strife!"

Cloud jumped at the familiar roar, and groaned.

"I called you Strife, where the hell are you?"

Cloud rolled his eyes and walked into his office, noticing Aeris watching him as he passed her desk. Rufus stood behind his desk, arms crossed, glaring at him furiously and tapping a finger on his shoulder.

"You bellowed, Mr. Shinra?" Cloud asked dryly.

"Strife, explain this to me!" Rufus snapped, tapping a finger on a thick sheet of papers on Cloud's desk. Cloud walked up and looked down at the paper.

"Those appears to be client information forms, sir," Cloud replied.

"Exactly, good for you. It's the client roster for the entire Mideel province, Strife," Rufus nodded. "And it's gone!"

"What?" Cloud asked, frowning.

"One of the servers crashed downstairs, all the client files for Mideel, gone, wiped clean. I need them back in the computer _now,_ get working."

"Are you serious?" Cloud cried, eyes wide as Rufus left his office. "Mr. Shinra, please!" Cloud begged, following him into Aeris' office. "That volume of information, it can't be done, there's only half a hour left until five o'clock!"

"Then you're staying late!" Rufus yelled. "Bottom line, you don't leave this building until every single paper file on that desk is re-entered into the computer! We close on weekends Strife, when Monday comes along we're printing off the order and contract forms for the week. And if we have a blank Mideel folder in the harddrive, that's an entire province going a week behind schedule! This is a crisis, Strife, handle it!"

"Oh god…" Cloud muttered, realizing Rufus meant it. If the week's paperwork for Mideel's clients wasn't ready for processing at the start of the week, it didn't get processed. This really _was_ a crisis. "Mr. Shinra, I'll certainly work on it, but there's no way an entire province of clients can be done by one person in one night! I'd have to work over the weekend to get it done in time."

"You, Erin!" Rufus snapped, turning to look down at Aeris.

"Aeris, sir."

"Whatever, you're Strife's secretary, right?"

"Yes sir."

"Good, you're staying too. Two ought to work much quicker than one, right?" Rufus smirked at Cloud who cast Aeris a look. The brunette was glaring at him fiercely. "Strife, the office keys," Rufus said, handing Cloud a keyring. "Stay as long as it takes, I don't care if you're here until midnight, get the information back in the system. Do it, and not only can you keep your job, maybe I'll toss a bonus your way."

"Yes sir," Cloud sighed. Rufus walked out of the office and turned the corner to the elevators in the hall. Aeris let out a growl and stood up.

"Time for coffee, gonna be a long night," she muttered, pushing past Cloud.

"Can I have a-" Cloud was cut off as Aeris slammed the office door behind her. "Cup…" Cloud finished, his shoulders slumping.

* * *

Cloud reread the newly typed invoice overview summary for the third time, sighing and closing his eyes. It was good, the last client information file was redone. Cloud saved the data and reached over to shut down his computer.

With a yawn, Cloud looked up at the clock on his desk. Almost half past nine. He was starving, the vending machine in the kitchen wasn't the best source of a good meal. He stood up and scratched his head, moving to the door to his office. He had to use the bathroom, then he had to finish packing up his things and make sure Aeris was ready to leave too. He pushed open his door, absentmindedly noted Aeris was away from her desk, and pushed open her door to the hall.

"Ah," Aeris muttered, pulling her hand back in the doorway. Cloud blinked and went to move past her the same time Aeris stepped forward. They bumped into each other, and Cloud stepped back and moved to the side.

"Sorry," he said as Aeris pushed past him.

"About time you said that," Aeris muttered under her breath. Cloud lifted his head to stare at her as she rounded her desk.

"What was that?" he asked lowly, narrowing his eyes.

"You heard me," Aeris said simply, sitting down.

"No, no I'm fairly sure I didn't," Cloud replied, turning towards her.

"Fine, let me repeat it since you've suddenly gone deaf!" Aeris snapped, looking up at him. "I've been waiting for you to say that ever since you forced yourself on me on Wednesday!"

"_Forced_ myself on you! I kissed you, it's not like I raped you or something! And we already covered that, yeah I know it's wrong but I don't regret one second of that kiss! In fact, I admit it, I enjoyed it!"

"You're such a pig, you've got a girlfriend, you put the moves on your secretary and you don't feel sorry about it!" Aeris jumped to her feet, glaring at Cloud angrily.

"Not a bit, considering the way you've been acting towards me all this time!" Cloud shot back, crossing the desk to stand in front of Aeris, arms crossed.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"The teasing, the banter, prancing around the office in sweaters and skirts every day, you've practically been flirting with me since your first day here!"

"You're hallucinating, I haven't done anything like that, that's just the type of person I happen to be, fun!"

"You call it fun, I call it being a tease! You can't tell me that it never once registered in your mind that you were leading me on!"

"I…you…" Aeris struggled for words and turned around, clenching her eyes shut.

"So it's true then?" Cloud demanded.

"Yeah, so what?" Aeris said, turning back around. "So I had a bit of fun flirting with my cute boss, I didn't go around jumping you and kissing you! That's different!"

"There it is, right there!" Cloud snapped, lifting a hand and pointing at her. "You put all the blame on me, but I've been thinking these last few days, and I don't buy it! You lead me on and I take the bait, so it's all my fault?"

"Are you saying _I'm_ responsible for _your_ kiss?"

"I'm saying you just admitted to flirting with me, and when I did kiss you, you didn't exactly pull away! I think deep down Aeris, you liked that kiss as much as I did!"

"So what, maybe I did!"

Cloud's angry expression lightened at the unexpected admission. A moment later, Aeris followed suit as what she had just said registered in her brain.

One more moment later, Cloud closed the gap between them and kissed her. He pulled back almost immediately, not giving Aeris a chance to push him away or pull him closer. At that exact moment, he wasn't sure which he expected, or which he wanted. In the aftermath, Aeris stared at him in a familiar expression. Cloud braced himself for a second hit that had followed the last time he'd seen her look at him like that.

"You…you aren't hitting me," Cloud said dumbly.

"Y…yeah," Aeris said, equally surprised. Cloud stared for a split second. In that split second, he made up his mind.

Cloud cupped Aeris' face in his hands as he kissed her again. He felt a rush of air on his lips as she inhaled sharply at the action. This time, he held the kiss, waited. Trying to savor it in case she decided to slap him after all. Eventually, Cloud did feel her hands, and he almost fainted.

Her hand had come up to clasp his shoulder.

Cloud stopped the kiss and opened his eyes. Aeris let out a small sound and followed suit, looking up at him, their faces inches apart.

"What are you doing?" Cloud whispered.

"I…this," Aeris replied, closing her eyes. She closed the gap, and suddenly, they were kissing again.

Cloud moaned softly and let his hands drop to Aeris' waist, holding her against him. Aeris' other arm coiled around his neck, pressing herself up for leverage. After a few moments, Cloud pulled his head back, panting slightly.

"We should stop," he gasped out.

"I know."

Cloud wasn't sure who initiated this time, but he was sure he didn't care anymore. He pushed forward, and Aeris stepped backwards. She squeaked slightly as her back hit the wall, and Cloud took the opportunity to take the kissing a step further. He parted his lips and slid his tongue into her mouth, prompting another surprised noise from her. The hands on Aeris' waist tightened as Cloud leaned into her, moving his lips against her. Suddenly, Aeris pulled her head back, as much as she was able too.

"Cloud…" she gasped, opening her eyes. Cloud licked his lips and cracked his own eyes open. Aeris was flushed, panting for breath, and her normally bright eyes had darkened to a shade he'd never seen before. "What are we doing?" Aeris whispered. Cloud blinked for a moment and leaned forward, resting his forehead against Aeris' hair.

"I…I don't know," he said. Why was she kissing him back? Was she just getting caught up in the moment? Or…

"Why are you kissing me?"

Cloud opened his mouth, and realized Aeris had asked him, not the reverse.

"Because…I wanted too," he replied.

"Oh, I see."

"No…I don't think you do."

"No, I do," Aeris insisted. "But Cloud…this is wrong."

"I know," Cloud agreed, closing his eyes. "But I don't care. I want this. Why did you kiss me back? What about what you want?"

"This isn't about wanting."

"Isn't it?"

"You have a girlfriend, and I'm your secretary," Aeris said, lowering her eyes. Cloud opened his eyes.

"I don't care anymore," he muttered, reaching up. He grabbed the hand on his upper arm and intertwined Aeris' fingers in his own. "Do you feel that? I do. And it feels more real and powerful than anything I can remember. And I don't care about anything else right now. I want to know where that feeling goes. And I want to find out with you."

"Cloud, that's a dangerous road, you know it. There's no turning back from a path like that."

"I can live with that," Cloud said simply. "But I can't live knowing I never tried to find out. What about you?" Aeris lifted her eyes back to him.

"What do you want from me?" she whispered softly. Cloud smiled slightly and released her hand to cup her cheek.

"An answer."

* * *

Cloud squinted and let out a groan, lifting an arm to his eyes to block the beam of sun shining on his face. He closed his eyes and rolled over in the bed, yawning. He felt someone next to him and moved closer.

"G'morning," he whispered, lifting a hand to the hand lying between them. It flexed under his touch. Something tickled his nose, and he sniffed. Flowers…flowery shampoo. Cloud furrowed his brow. Wait a minute, Tifa didn't use scented shampoos, she was allergic. Cloud opened his eyes to the face of the woman lying in front of him, her bare torso covered by a curtain of loose, slightly curly light brown hair.

Cloud sat upright at memories rushed back to him, and he stared down, wide-eyed, at the sleeping form of Aeris next to him.

"Oh god…"


	16. Chapter 16

New Love

**I had trouble writing this chapter, but here it is.**

Chapter 16

Cloud sat silently on the light brown sofa, hands clasped over his mouth, eyes staring at the carpet blankly. He hadn't moved in about ten minutes, since he had gotten dressed and quietly slipped out of the bedroom, Aeris still asleep as he closed the door behind him

The full impact of what he had done last night still hadn't fully hit him. Or maybe he didn't notice it because the impact had happened slowly. Cloud had realized what this relationship could cost him a long time ago. The idea of what was at stake had helped curb his feelings at first. He could lose his job, his girlfriend, and with them his reputation and possibly even home. His friends probably wouldn't be too joyful around him either for what he had done to Tifa.

Tifa…Cloud wasn't even sure what to do about her. After what had happened last night, the feelings he had developed for Aeris…Tifa had to know, had to. She would be hurt, of course. But she had to know. Cloud had no idea how she would react, what she would want to do. She might not even want to be with him anymore. Cloud wasn't sure if he wanted to be with her anymore either. He had crossed a line, he knew before hand he was going to cross it, and he had to deal with the consequences, one way or the other, better or worse.

There was a sound from the hall, and Cloud lifted his head. Aeris emerged from the hallway, her eyes half-closed. Her hair was still hanging free from her usual braid, and was slightly tousled. Cloud guessed he should have expected that. Aeris noticed him, and her eyes opened fully. Her face flushed, and she gave him a small half-smile.

"Hi," she said quietly.

"Good morning," Cloud replied, lowering his eyes.

"I thought maybe you had left."

"No, I wouldn't…"

"…kay…"

The two fell back into silence, and Cloud cast a glance up at Aeris, who was gazing at a picture on the wall. Cloud hadn't looked around her apartment much, he'd been busy thinking. Right now, he had to say, or do something. Sweeping her up into his arms and carrying her back into the bedroom was appealing, but would be horribly inappropriate. There were so many things to ask, so much to say, where to begin…

"How was it?" Cloud blurted. A split second later, he cried out and clamped a hand over his mouth, kicking himself. Aeris gave him a sheepish look.

"Um…it was…good," she said slowly, clearing her throat.

"Oh…ok, ok…" Cloud nodded, lowering his hand.

"Why, was it not…?"

"Ah, it was, just…you said good, but it sounded like you…you know…"

"Can we change the subject?" Aeris groaned, her face a deep enough shade of red to rival her jacket.

"Sure," Cloud agreed. Silence once filled the room. "You did, didn't you?" Cloud asked.

"Gah, yes!" Aeris shouted, letting out a cry and turning to rest her forehead against the wall. "You done your little ego stroke now?"

"Sorry," Cloud whispered. Aeris lifted her head and sighed deeply. Cloud thought for a moment, ruled out the questions that could wait, or were unimportant. Within a surprisingly short amount of time, he realized what he really wanted to know. "Do you…regret, what we did?" he asked, looking up at her. Aeris finally sat down on an easy chair next to the sofa where Cloud sat.

"No," she said once she was seated. "But I feel bad that I don't because I think I should…what about you?"

"That sounds about right," Cloud nodded. "I cheated on my girlfriend…I should feel like scum right now. But I don't. And _that_ makes me feel like scum."

"Cloud…" Aeris hesitated as Cloud turned towards her. "What…what…why did you sleep with me?" she settled on. Cloud closed his eyes.

"I wanted you," he said. It was the truth, though perhaps he wasn't conveying what he meant in the best way he could have.

"You told me that. That's not what I meant," Aeris replied, leaning forward. "You said last night, that you felt something powerful…what is it you feel?" Cloud licked his suddenly dry lips and opened his eyes.

"I…I think I'm in love with you," he admitted, turning towards her.

"Think?"

"Well…I don't think I've ever been in love before, so I'm not sure," Cloud explained. "Aeris, I'm sorry I can't give you a straight answer, but I can't even give myself one. This is all new to me, I have no idea what I'm doing, and I don't wanna screw this up because I've already pretty much guaranteed I'll lose Tifa and if I lose you too I'm alone and all this…" Cloud trailed off, not wanting to finish the sentence. He didn't want to think about the possibility of losing both the women in life just because he couldn't handle the situation of having two of them.

"I get it…really, it's ok," Aeris said, reaching over to pat the back of Cloud's hand. Cloud turned his hand over and gripped hers like a lifeline.

"And you?" Cloud asked. "What do you feel?" Aeris visibly hesitated.

"I…I can't give you the answer you want, Cloud, because I really don't know. I like you, I know that," she answered.

"Well, no offense Aeris, but I usually don't have sex with people who 'like' me," Cloud said.

"I just haven't thought about it!" Aeris said angrily. "In case you've forgotten, three or four days ago you weren't my lover, you were my boss who had a girlfriend. I'm not used to thinking about you romantically."

"That's fair I guess."

"So….what happens now?" Aeris asked.

"I'm wondering that myself," Cloud said. "I'm telling Tifa the first thing on Monday. What happens then…it's up to her."

"Do you still want to be with her?" Cloud and Aeris locked eyes again, and Cloud heard the second question she hadn't voiced.

"I'm not sure….I just, need to think things over. I think we all do. Time to clear our heads, figure things out."

"Yeah, I…yeah." Aeris stood up and hugged herself. "I think you should go now."

"Alright," Cloud nodded, standing. He went to move past Aeris, and stopped. He looked at her and tried to figure out what, if anything, to do. Kiss her good-bye, hug her…Aeris looked up at him, and Cloud decided it didn't matter. After sex, a good-bye kiss was a minor thing to worry about. He pressed his lips to her forehead, sighing as he pulled back.

"If this doesn't work, if it hurts…I'm sorry."

"I believe you."

* * *

Cloud stepped off the elevator in his apartment building, hanging his head and he walked to the door. He had felt horrible leaving, like he was walking out on Aeris. In a sense, he was, though not in the way it felt. He was telling her the truth, though. In a rare moment of clarity, Cloud knew he had to step back. He had taken a big step, and he had to take a good long look at the next ones available to him before he did something stupid.

"Hey, Spiky!"

Cloud looked up to see Barret waving at him from the door to his apartment. Cid was leaning against the wall opposite.

"What are you two doing here?" Cloud asked, speeding up.

"I called ya last night, ya didn't answer. So I called again this morning, still no answer. I called your neighbor, she said you never came home," Cid said. "We were wondering what the hell happened to ya. You're okay right?"

"Uh…yeah, sort of," Cloud shrugged, pulling out his keys.

"You don't look okay," Cid objected as Cloud unlocked the door. "You look like you just got your dreams crushed boy. What the hell were you doing last night?" Cloud stopped a horribly inappropriate comeback.

"You coming inside?" he muttered instead, leaving the door open. Cid and Barret filed in, Barret closing the door behind him. Cloud walked into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge. He pushed aside the tub of margarine and the bottle of orange juice and reached for the six-pack of beer in the back, two bottles missing. He grabbed one and popped the cap, walking into the living room where his friends were sitting on the sofa.

"Beer on a Saturday morning," Barret said. "You musta' had a really shitty night."

"Actually," Cloud corrected, sitting down in a chair and taking a drink. "I had a _great_ night. It's the morning and the next few days that are going to be hell."

"This ain't makin' any sense, what did ya do last night?" Cid asked. Cloud clenched his eyes and let out a frustrated grunt. He had hoped to come home and just relax and think, he wasn't ready to deal with his friends and what they would think.

"It's not so much as _what_, its _who_," he ground out. Cid's eyes widened.

"Shi…shit…"

"Whoa whoa!" Barret shouted, standing. "You were with someone last night? That it?"

"Yeah, that's it," Cloud nodded.

"Who the hell was she?"

"It's the secretary!" Barret looked back as Cid snapped his fingers a few times. "Ah, ah…Aeris! It was her, right? The one you said you were all loopy over."

"Aeris? The brunette at the dance class?"

"Yes," Cloud sighed. "Feel free to keep shouting."

"Damn right I will!" Barret replied. "Are you out of your damn mind? You had sex with a co-worker, there's that cushy job down the tube! And Tifa!"

"Hey, Barret," Cid cut in.

"Do you have any idea what this is gonna do to her? Break her heart, that's what, unless you try and keep it secret. This is gonna ruin your entire life, ya know that, and-"

_SMASH_

Barret jumped as Cloud's bottle smashed against the wall, sending a shower of glass and beer around the room. Cid and Barret stared at the impact stain as Cloud pushed himself up.

"Of course I know that!" he roared. "You think I don't know? You think I haven't spent every second since waking up today thinking about it? My job, my apartment, my girlfriend, my reputation, and apparently my friends! I know, I could lose them all! You know what? It's too late to tell me that, because it's done! I slept with her, yeah, and I know it's gonna screw my life up but it happened, and I'm trying to deal with it! And it would be a lot easier without you yelling at me!"

Cloud finished and fell silent, glaring angrily at Barret. Barret gave him a stunned look and slowly sat down.

"Sorry man….sorry," he whispered. Cloud took a deep breath and tried to calm himself. He had decency, he wasn't going to take out his frustrations on Aeris, or Tifa when she came back. Barret and Cid, on the other hand, could take it and shout back at him.

"So what are you gonna do?" Cid asked.

"I don't know…right now, I want to be alone, and think," Cloud said. "I'm sorry for yelling, Barret, but…I know. I know it looks like I made a mistake, but…it doesn't feel like it. As far as I'm concerned, it isn't."

"Depending on how this works, maybe it isn't," Cid said quietly.

"I don't like it…" Barret shook his head. "Cloud, I've know you and Tifa for years, I can't approve of this. You know what it's going to do to her."

"I do," Cloud nodded. "Believe me when I say if I could make this easier, I would. But I can't. I don't want to hurt her, but I know I will. So as you can imagine, I feel like shit right now, and like I said, I was hoping I could be alone."

"We hear ya," Cid said, standing. "Let's go Barret."

"Hey, we-"

"We wanted to check on him, make sure he's alive. We did, he is, let's go," Cid insisted. Barret gave Cloud a long look, and stood up.

"I ain't happy with ya," Barret said, looking down at him. "But I want to be able to happy with ya when it's all done, so…whatever decision ya make, make sure it's the right one."

"I'm trying," Cloud said. Cid grunted, and Barret followed him out. The door clicked shut behind them, leaving Cloud in his chair alone with his thoughts.

**Next chapter, someone makes a comeback, someone reviewers have asked for….**


	17. Chapter 17

New Love

Chapter 17

"Now I see why people hate Mondays," Cloud said under his breath as he pushed the close door button in the elevator. Tifa would be home from the airport that afternoon, and he had to face up to her and what would likely be the end of their relationship. Cloud had spent most of Sunday wandering the apartment in a daze, contemplating his life and the two women in it.

He had to turn things around. He wasn't happy, he could admit that now, and it was up to him to change that. The first thing to do was solve his love problems. That was the most pressing issue he had to concern himself. Afterwards, he had to deal with Rufus and Shinra. They were ruining his life, Cloud had realized. He had come home far too often in a bad mood because of the hell Rufus put his through. His employment problems came second. After that…Cloud wasn't sure. He'd not thought that far ahead, he had enough concerns with already.

The elevators slid open, and Cloud walked down the hall to his office. He fished out his keys and yawned as he began to unlock the door. Suddenly, someone hit him from behind, and Cloud let out a cry as a pair of hands clamped over his eyes.

"Guess who!" the person behind him laughed. Cloud thought for a moment, and let out a small groan. He knew that voice.

"Well, it's either the cold clammy hands of Death…or, it's Yuffie."

"It's Yuffie!" the hands pulled back, and Cloud turned around to see the brunette grinning up at him.

"Dammit," Cloud muttered. "What are you doing here?"

"Well that Aeris girl who replaced me called in sick on Sunday. They got the message this morning and told me to come over to replace her for the week since I have experience here."

"Aeris is sick?" Cloud asked, concerned.

"Well not really, according to my boss the message said she had personal problems."

"Oh," Cloud said, going back to unlocking the door.

"So, how are you two getting along?" Yuffie asked, following Cloud inside. "You two alright together?"

"Mostly, now. At first we kinda clashed a little bit, had a little argument about desk decorations. And she had a little problem with her paycheck on her second day."

"Oh really?" Yuffie teased. "Paycheck huh? You're not screwing her I hope?" Cloud's face went red as he began to unlock the second door to his office.

"Whatever," he mumbled.

"What, what I say?" Yuffie cried. Cloud let out a breath as the door to the office swung open.

"Long, long, complicated story."

"Does it end with sex?" Yuffie asked.

"Actually, yes."

"Whoa…I'm listening."

* * *

"So…you flushed your life as you know it down the crapper."

"Pretty much," Cloud nodded. Yuffie shook her head and looked down at the blond at the desk in front of her, hands on her hips.

"Wow. I leave you for less than a month and your life turns to hell. You really can't take care of yourself can you?" she said.

"Trying to take care of myself is what got me into this mess," Cloud said fiercely. "I started thinking on my feet and listening to my own opinions instead of everyone else's. And it feels damn great to finally assert myself."

"Testify, brother," Yuffie nodded. "About time that hamster you call a brain jumped back inside the wheel. This means you're quitting Shinra?"

"I don't know, probably, but that can wait. Tifa's coming home tonight and I am not looking forward to that confrontation."

"What you gonna do then?"

"Assuming she leaves me alive, I'm going to try and sort out my feelings and come to a decision. As blunt as it is, I have to choose one of them."

"Do you love either of them?"

"I love both of them, Yuffie. If I didn't love both of them then this would be a lot easier."

"Good point," Yuffie nodded. She thought for a moment, then grabbed a pen and a slip of scrap paper from Cloud's desk.

"What are you doing?" Cloud asked as Yuffie wrote. "What is that?"

"My phone number," Yuffie said, handing him the paper.

"Yuffie, you're cute in a way, but I'm not gonna…"

"Don't flatter yourself, mister," Yuffie scowled. "Not all your secretaries wanna bang you. If you need help, call me. A place to stay or someone to talk to, just call. I can throw a couple pillows on the couch, no biggie."

"Thanks," Cloud replied, folding the paper into his pocket. Yuffie was silent for a moment, then grinned.

"So how was she?"

* * *

Cloud clasped his hands over his mouth as he waited. Tifa had called fifteen minutes ago from the airport, she was due home any minute. Cloud had spent those fifteen minutes contemplating what to say. None of the options that presented themselves were all that nice, but they still had to be said.

There was a jingle, and Cloud lifted his head as the heard the door to the apartment unlock.

"I'm home!" Tifa called, walking inside and setting her suitcase down. "Cloud?"

"I'm here," Cloud said quietly.

"It went great," Tifa continued, walking into the living room. "The judges told Zangan they'd…" Tifa stopped as she noticed the blank look on Cloud's face. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I have to tell you something," Cloud whispered, closing his eyes.

"What is it, is everything okay?" Tifa asked, sitting down beside him. Cloud's eyes clenched as Tifa put a hand on his shoulder.

"No, I…I did something…while you were gone," he said. "I…I…I slept, with someone." The hand on Cloud's shoulder tensed, and Cloud opened his eyes. Tifa looked down at the floor.

"Oh…" she said simply. Cloud took a deep breath. She looked crushed. He didn't blame her. "Who was it?" Tifa asked.

"Aeris."

"Oh." The two sat in silence for a moment, the only sound the distant, slow tick of the clock on the wall behind them.

"I'm sorry," Cloud said, turning his head towards her.

"I know…" Tifa nodded. "I suppose this is as much my fault as it is yours."

"What?" Cloud asked, giving her a confused look. He hadn't expected something like that.

"I don't know, Cloud," Tifa sighed, lifting a hand to her forehead. "I just…maybe we've gone about this relationship all wrong. I've always tried to be there for you, but sometimes you're not there at all."

"What are you talking about, I've always been around," Cloud protested.

"No you haven't," Tifa said softly. "You were always reading a book, or watching television, or just sitting and staring into space. It's funny, in a sad way…we've known each other our whole lives, lived together for years, and it still feels like I don't know you sometimes. I can ask you directly what you're thinking and I still have no idea what's on your mind."

"I…I'm sorry," Cloud said, lowering his eyes. He'd never known Tifa felt that way sometimes. He knew he was a bit distant lately, but had he really been neglecting his girlfriend like she said? How could he not have noticed? This life he lead with her…was that just an illusion he hadn't seen through?

"Don't be, it's just who you are. I accepted that a long time ago," Tifa replied. "I don't blame you for it Cloud, but it still makes things difficult." Tifa fell silent again for a moment. "Why…why did you sleep with her?"

"I'm in love with her," Cloud answered. "But, Tifa…I still love you. I do."

"I believe you…but that's not enough, is it?"

"I don't know." Cloud stood up and moved to the window overlooking the street below. "Tifa, this life I've built…I'm not happy with it. It's not what I really want."

"Am I included in that life you don't want?"

"I can't answer that."

"Can't, or don't want to?"

"A bit of both."

Tifa nodded and licked her lips. She looked over at Cloud, who still had his back to her, and walked up to him.

"What happens now?" she asked.

"I need time. I do love you Tifa, but…Aeris, I can't walk away from her just yet. This is new to me, and I'm still trying to figure out how to handle it."

"That's fair I guess." Tifa leaned forward and put her forehead against Cloud's back, closing her eyes. "I just want you to be happy, Cloud. And I want it to be with me, but if that can't happen…" Cloud turned, and Tifa lifted her head.

"Do you, you know…want me to leave?" he asked.

"I won't kick you out Cloud. But if you wanted to I wouldn't stop you."

"Okay…I'll go."

"You have a place to stay?"

"Yeah."

"Alright."

Cloud thought for a moment, and wrapped his arms around Tifa, hugging her. Tifa closed her eyes and let a few tears slip out into Cloud's shirt.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he whispered.

"I believe you," Tifa said.

"Do you hate me?"

"No…it wouldn't be this difficult if I did."

Cloud stepped back and went down the hallway to their bedroom. He stopped at the doorway and sighed. Their bedroom…for now, at least. Cloud moved to the closet to grab a suitcase, and slowed as he heard muffled sobs from the living room. He withdrew the small suitcase matching the one in the hallway, and turned to the nightstand and picked up the phone. He took the folded paper from his pocket and dialed the number on it.

_"Yo, it's Yuffie."_

"Yuffie, Cloud. Can I take you up on that couch offer?"

**This story is nearing its end, five or fewer chapters to go depending on how I write them.**


	18. Chapter 18

New Love

Chapter 18

Cloud opened his eyes and groaned, closing them again. Too early, he didn't need to look at the clock to know that. He turned his head and rolled over.

"AH!"

Cloud let out a cry as he hit the carpet with a loud thump, his head tingling. He let out a lower, longer groan and momentarily wondered why he was sleeping on a couch. Then, he remembered.

"Cloooooud! What did I tell you last night?" Yuffie's voice came from down the hall. Cloud rolled his eyes and sat up, rubbing his head.

"Don't roll off the couch in your sleep," he grumbled.

"What did you just do?"

"That's different, I was awake!" Even as he spoke, Cloud mentally slapped himself for how stupid that sounded. Yuffie had given him fair warning to be careful the previous night. He should have listened to her.

When he'd hung up on her, he'd quietly packed a couple changes of clothes and left, Tifa not even looking up at him as he walked past. He hated leaving her like that, but any attempts to console her likely wouldn't help. He'd gotten in his car and driven to Yuffie's house. True to her word, she'd put up the couch for him. After she'd gone to bed, Cloud had spent half the night awake thinking.

Cloud put a hand on the couch and pushed himself up. He heard a door open and looked over at the hallway. Yuffie walked out of the hallway in a light green robe, grinning at him.

"Morning blondie," she smiled, heading past the couch into the kitchen.

"Don't tell me you're a morning person," Cloud said, laying back down on the couch.

"The day is too short to spend even a minute of it half-asleep!" Yuffie called. "Coffee?"

"You planning to make it right this time?"

"Yes," Yuffie said, coming back out. "How about some breakfast, how do you like your eggs?"

"Hatched, grown into a chicken and baked at four-fifty degrees," Cloud said dryly. Yuffie didn't move, and he sighed. "I don't like eggs all that much."

"Scrambled?"

"Whatever." Yuffie returned to the kitchen as Cloud looked at the clock display on Yuffie's VCR/DVD combo. It was roughly an hour before he normally left for work. Normally he would wake up now or a few minutes later, but the previous night had left him tired.

_"What am I gonna do?" _Cloud thought, closing his eyes. He couldn't hide in Yuffie's apartment for the rest of his life, sooner or later he'd run out of clothes. And next week Aeris would come back to work. He knew by then, he'd have to have something to tell her.

"So how long are you planning on crashing here?" Yuffie called from the kitchen.

"How long can you put up with me?" Cloud said.

"I'm serious Cloud."

"So am I. I don't know, really. I'm not at all looking forward to going back to Tifa, if she'll even take me back."

"Do you _want_ her to take you back? Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't you end up sleeping in my living room due to a chain of events caused by you're being in an unsatisfying relationship?"

"I hate you when you're right," Cloud muttered. Yuffie came back in the living room and sat down beside Cloud.

"So how're you doing?" Yuffie asked. "How did it go with her, you never told me." Cloud sighed and scrunched up his face.

"It was strange…I expected her to yell and scream at me, part of me felt like I should yell and scream at her. But when she opened the door…I just felt so…so…drained. I was surprised when she reacted as she did…I think I wanted her to yell at me, make me feel bad, but she didn't."

"Tifa never did strike me as the yelling type much," Yuffie agreed.

"Yeah, but…I would have rather she yelled at me then do what she did. She just seemed so…"

"Crushed? Heartbroken? Emotionally shattered beyond any hope repair?"

"Yeah, thanks for the help," Cloud said bitterly. Yuffie grinned and patted him on the back.

"I try."

* * *

_"A compendium of ways Jamie and I have been wrong."_

Click.

_"Hey, don't you talk that way to me boy!" _

Click.

_"Our next guest hails from Mideel and is engaged!"_

Click.

"When did I suddenly stop having a life?" Aeris asked herself, flipping channels. Still in her nightgown, the brunette had her legs drawn up on her couch as she searched for something to watch. Monday had reminded her that, when she didn't go out, didn't go to work and didn't use the Internet except for work, life as she knew it didn't exist within the walls of her apartment.

Aeris hit the Mute button as she flipped to a game show and stood up, moving into the kitchen. It was only ten-thirty, too early for lunch, but she was hungry now, who was keeping track? Aeris opened the cupboard over the stove and pulled out a small plastic container of instant macaroni and slipped it into the microwave. She punched in the time and hit Start, watching as the tray in the microwave rotated.

She had to pull a string with an old friend to get off work for a week. She hated to take time off even when sick, but this time she made an exception. Working alongside Cloud all day, considering what he was going through, what had happened…it would be too stressful for the both of them to handle. Regardless of what Cloud did or didn't want to do with her once he got his affairs in order – Aeris winced at the word her mind used – she couldn't work at Shinra anymore if he was going to be there.

_"So, I guess I'm quitting then," _Aeris sighed. _"I can't work with him, even if…" _Aeris stopped the thought before she completed it. Cloud had to sort out his feelings for her and Tifa and it wasn't her place to interfere, she'd done enough of that already. Still, where was it written that she couldn't hope he chose her?

"So I like him…that's understandable, given…" Aeris mumbled, lowering her eyes. She felt the familiar guilt rise up from her. She wanted to be with Cloud. That, according to simple logic and common sense, meant he couldn't be with Tifa. She felt like some sort of interloper or whore who told her friend's boyfriend. "But I am, aren't I?" Aeris asked herself. She hadn't planned for Cloud to fall for her, or for her to start falling for him in turn, but it had somehow happened. Didn't that absolve her in any way?

The microwave bell chimed as the macaroni finished cooking. Aeris grabbed a spoon from the drawer and opened the door. No, not really, regardless of her intentions or initial desires, in the end nothing would change what had happened. Tifa had gone, and she and Cloud had slept together. Did Tifa even know the full story of what had happened? Or did Tifa think she had planned it out like some sort of seductress, waiting for her to leave before she stole Cloud for herself?

"She probably hates me," Aeris said bitterly, tearing the covering off the plastic container. "Can't say I blame her." The secretary walked back into the living room of her apartment and sat back down, stirring her quick snack absentmindedly. Had their positions been reversed, she may have hated Tifa, though she wasn't sure. Then again, had Aeris been the one dating Cloud and Tifa was his co-worker…Aeris shook her head to disperse the idea. That was a line of thought that lead to another road of bitter, angry feelings that she had no desire to go down. She wasn't Tifa, she wasn't in Tifa's position. She couldn't imagine how she felt right now.

* * *

Zangan lifted a thick eyebrow as Tifa's fists and feet slammed at the training dummy, the blows landing hard and fast. Tifa was sweating and panting heavily, her bangs sticking to her forehead. Zangan watched her silently. She was leaving herself open to counter-attacks from all angles, but he doubted she'd want to hear that. Thus far she'd gone five minutes without stopping. She was likely exhausted but she wouldn't stop. Tifa landed two more punches and spun to kick.

"Tifa, that's enough," Zangan said, taking a step forward. Tifa spun around and slammed her heel into Zangan's jaw. The instructor cried out as he was knocked back across the room, spinning around and falling forward onto the training mats below.

"Oh my god, Zangan!" Tifa cried, running to him. "Are you alright?"

"I think I may have a concussion," Zangan groaned, shakily climbing to his feet. He stumbled slightly and blinked rapidly. "Give me a moment, Tifa."

"I'm so sorry, I didn't see you," Tifa said, leading Zangan to a bench by the training area. Zangan held his head and looked up at Tifa as he sat down.

"Tifa, you've been absent-minded all day," Zangan said. "What's going on?" Tifa's eyes widened slightly, and she turned away.

"I…" Tifa hesitated for a moment. "When we were at the exhibition, Cloud, he…someone else…" Zangan's eyes narrowed.

"I see," he said lowly. "Permit me to be blunt; who, and why?"

"His secretary, and he says he's in love with her."

"Hmmm…." Zangan thought for a moment. "And you?"

"Huh?" Tifa turned her head back. "What do you mean?"

"I'm asking how you're handling, though if your distracted performance today is any indication I have a rather good guess," Zanfan said. Tifa bit her lip.

"I just want him to be happy," she whispered. "And I want it to be with me, but…"

"He isn't happy," Zangan finished.

"Looking back, he hasn't been, I don't think," Tifa said. "Cloud has always been the quiet type, even around me. For so long I thought that was all right because I still knew him, but now I'm not so sure. I don't want to think he's been unhappy, though. I've always been there for him any way I can, but…I guess that hasn't been enough." Tifa closed her eyes and hung her head.

"Be strong," Zangan said sternly. "Tifa, you've strength within you and I don't mean your muscles. You're a strong woman, you can handle this."

"Handle that I could lose the man I love because I'm not good enough for him?" Tifa spat.

"That's rather cynical. Don't say that, you know Cloud wouldn't. He does love you, but perhaps he simply loves this other woman more. There is nothing you can do for this. The heart will want what it wants, and using the brain to worry and fret about it will do nothing but confuse them both."

"I just…can't help but feel this is my fault," Tifa admitted. "Did I do something wrong, or not do something? Could I have adverted this?"

"Tifa, you are a loving, caring, intelligent, beautiful young woman. You've done nothing wrong here and have no business sharing the blame. It wasn't you who cheated, after all. I don't want to seem cruel, but if you must blame someone, I'd say the blame lies with Cloud"

"But you said it yourself," Tifa lifted her head and opened watery eyes. "The heart wants what it wants. If Cloud's heart lead him away from me, how can I blame him, or Aeris? If I'm not to blame, and neither are they, whose fault is this?" Zangan took a deep breath and paused.

"I don't know."

* * *

_"Look buddy, I advise you to run, run far away, before she tightens the noose and hangs you out to dry. Find someone who doesn't drag you around by the balls, unless she does it in private too. See ya later." _Reno hung up, and Cloud, not for the first time since listening to the broadcast that day, narrowed his eyes. He reached over and picked up the phone receiver and dialed.

_"Alrighty, we got time for one last call today!" _Reno said

Cloud looked up at the radio on his desk as he listened to the phone ring. Finally, it picked up.

_"Red Hot Radio, hurry up we're almost outta time," _the women on the other line said.

"Hi, my name is Steve, I called Reno earlier in a month about a problem with my love life," Cloud said.

_"Great, he loves follow-ups, we'll patch ya through."_

"Thanks." The line went on hold, and Cloud drummed his fingers on the desk.

_"For our last call, we got an old buddy dropping in with an update over some love stories for us," _Reno said on the radio. The line clicked in Cloud's ear, and he was listening to Reno in stereo. _"Hiya Steve, how they hanging?"_

"Hello Reno," Cloud said dryly. "Remember me? I called a few weeks ago dating 'a goddess' as you said, being unsatisfied."

_"Nope, don't ring a bell, but let's keep going," _Reno replied.

"Well, I just wanted to thank you for your advice," Cloud said.

_"Sure, no prob man."_

"It really made me realize that the two of us were both idiots that day," Cloud continued.

_"Yeah, well I…wait, what?" _Reno cried.

"I was an idiot for thinking someone like you could help me," Cloud said, "and you were an even worse idiot for thinking you could too."

_"Hey, listen buddy!"_

"No, you listen!" Cloud snapped back. "And all of you out there tuned in, listen too! I talked to this guy, my best friends, a psychiatrist, my secretary, and my mom, and you know who helped me? I did, me. I made the choice, I made the move, and I'm dealing with the consequences. And looking back I realize what a fool I was for asking others to make that choice for me." Cloud took a breath and calmed down slightly.

"We all want help making the tough choices, but in the end it's on us. Reno, you don't have my job, my life or my girlfriend, so how can I possibly trust you to make help me with my decisions? None of us can, instead of looking to others for help, maybe we should try looking at a mirror instead. Because if we can't rely on our judgment, then it won't matter what decision we make because it'll never feel right. And if you're going to let someone else make your choices, you may as well trust some street performer or a rival co-worker instead of this guy because none of them will make the right one. _Especially_ this guy."

Cloud hung up as Reno sputtered on the radio.

_"I…listen up, you son of a-"_

"I don't think so." Cloud reached up to the radio and slowly turned down the volume, Reno's shouts and rants fading away.

**I had wanted Cloud to have a follow-up with Reno with his newfound sense of confidence and assertion, so here it is. Otherwise this chapter is meant to give insight into the three LT members, and really just to drag out the drama. Considering the confession was last chapter, I can't quite skip straight to the conclusion of it all can I?  
**

**Next chapter will be the third-to-last! Don't miss it!**


	19. Chapter 19

**The intro of this chapter was a bit hard to do, mostly because it was supposed to be boring and monotonous, so writing it was too, and I'm not totally pleased with the result.**

**A bit more drama milking, but a sense of resolution at last! I hope you have as much fun reading the ending of this chapter as I did writing it. *wink***

New Love

Chapter 19

"Get it done Strife, or I'll see you roasted over a spit!" Rufus dropped the stack of paperwork on Cloud's desk and marched out the door. Cloud let out a sigh and stared at the stack blankly before standing up and moving out the door.

"I'm going to the bathroom," he tossed to Yuffie as he walked by. Yuffie make a sound of acknowledgement from the computer. Cloud reached into his pocket and pulled out his bathroom key, unlocking the door and heading inside. He went into the stall, closed the toilet seat and sat down with a groan. He didn't need to go to the bathroom, he just needed to take a few steps back for a moment, away from his office and Rufus.

It was Friday. A whole week had passed since he'd slept with Aeris. And he had just as much idea what to about the two women in his life then as he did now. No matter what he did he was going to potentially break someone's heart, and it would be hard on him too.

_"So I just put off making a decision for the rest of my life and lose them both, wonderful plan," _Cloud thought bitterly. He had done all he could to avoid thinking of his dilemma, he would admit to that. Procrastinating had never been something he liked taking part in, he considered himself a hard-working man. But this wasn't something he was looking forward to. He wasn't even entirely sure it was something he wanted to do.

Part of him just wanted to get up and leave. Just walk out the front doors of the Shinra building and never see Rufus, Yuffie, Tifa, Aeris or any of his friends again. Just leave them, his relationships with them and the obligations they meant for him behind. On the one hand, Cloud knew he couldn't possibly do that for countless reasons. On the other hand, it was still a tempting option, to leave behind the mess he'd made of his life and start over. Then again, wasn't that exactly _why_ he'd done what he'd done, to get a new hold on his life?

"This is too complicated," Cloud ground out, standing up. He left the bathroom and shoved his hands into his pockets as he walked back to the office.

"Sitting the bathroom moping won't fix this," Yuffie advised from the desk as he walked past. Cloud stopped and gave her an odd look. Had she been reading his mind?

"Huh?" he muttered.

"You know if you don't finish that work Rufus will have your ass," Yuffie said, lifting her eyes. "This is my last day here, don't make me have to see you crucified."

"Whatever," Cloud said, relaxing slightly. Yuffie had a point, he had to work on…whatever it was Rufus wanted him to do, he hadn't paid attention. And it would give him something to occupy his mind besides his problematic love life. Cloud walked inside his office and sat down. He looked back and forth between his computer screen and the stack of paperwork, and let out a long sigh. He didn't have a clue what to do.

The week had gone by in a blur, and try as he might Cloud couldn't remember a thing about it. The things he did remember were so general – living with Yuffie, coming to work, being yelled at by Rufus. He didn't remember anything about the actual work he had done, or what he had been yelled at for, or even what he'd eaten for his meals. He'd just tuned out the world and gone through his routine on autopilot without realizing it.

Cloud picked up one of the files from the stack and stared at it. Maybe it was his pounding headache, but he couldn't understand a word the paper said. He read the words but they didn't click together in his head. Cloud put the paper down and leaned back in his chair. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

"Life sucks," he decided aloud, announcing his revelation to the room. The only responses were the hum of his computer, the tick of the clock, and the muffled sound of Yuffie typing through the door. Cloud opened his eyes and sat back up. He really, really had to do his work…yup, time to work. Cloud lifted his hands and placed his fingers on the keyboard. Had to get it done…anytime now…Cloud lowered his eyes to his hands when he noticed they weren't moving. He pursed his lip and watched them blankly, finally moving them and typing. Cloud kept watching his fingers move, then looked up at the computer screen.

I QUIT

Cloud lifted his eyebrows and thought, then reached over and hit Backspace, watching each letter vanish one by one. The cursor sat there blinking at him, and Cloud again wondered exactly what he was supposed to be doing.

"Hey, blondie," Yuffie called. Cloud looked up at her, eager for a distraction. "What's up, you're moodier than usual."

"I don't know," Cloud shrugged. "Just not up to working."

"Didn't you say you were going to quit?"

"I am, I hate this job."

"Then quit!" Yuffie hissed, slamming her hands on the edge of the desk. "Walk up to Rufus, tell him you're tired of this and walk out that door. Simple."

"I know," Cloud agreed. "I can quit anytime."

"Then why don't you?"

"…I just have a lot of my mind lately."

"This is about the ladies huh?" Yuffie asked.

"No."

"I've asked you about them every day this week and you find some way to avoid the subject."

"There's a reason."

"So, what? You plan to put off making a decision? You don't make the decision yourself and they'll make it for you."

"I know, I know," Cloud said, lowering his head. "I'm a heartless bastard because I won't pick which woman I want to be with."

"Actually," Yuffie whispered, leaning over to pat his shoulder, "I'd say you're not a heartless bastard because you don't want to hurt their feelings."

"Exactly," Cloud nodded. "I just don't want to have to make a choice when it seems either choice is going to hurt someone."

"Well, lucky for you I'm here then!" Yuffie grinned and reached into her pocket. "I know how to make your decision quick and easy!"

"I know I'll regret saying this, but…how?" Cloud groaned, looking up at her. Yuffie pulled her hand from her pocket and held up a ten-gil coin.

"Heads, you go with Aeris, tails, it's Tifa. Simple right?" Yuffie placed the coin on her fist and prepared to flip it.

"Why is Tifa tails?" Cloud asked. "Tails makes it seem like a bad choice."

"So you think Aeris should be the bad choice?" Yuffie asked suspiciously.

"No, neither of them is the bad choice."

"Well they can't _both_ be heads, polygamy is illegal in this state ya know!" Yuffie scowled and put her hands behind her back. "Alright, new plan. Pick a hand the coin's in, ya get it right you go with Tifa, get it wrong and you pick Aeris."

"Why is it that way, it makes it seem like Tifa's the award and Aeris is some sort of…not-reward."

"You're just saying this crap to stall me aren't you?" Yuffie snapped.

"It's working isn't it?" Cloud shrugged.

"About as well as your mental debating is going! You're overcomplicating things! Just decide who you really love and want to be with and go with it!"

"I can't make that decision because I have no idea who I really love!" Cloud shouted as he stood up. "My head hasn't quite caught up with my heart, so excuse me if I'm still a bit confused. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm a bit busy trying to figure out what this work is that I'm supposed to do." Cloud turned away from Yuffie and pulled up to the desk. Yuffie rolled her eyes.

"Head and heart…right," she muttered, walking out of the office. The next few minutes were filled with silence as Cloud tried to make heads or tails of the paperwork on his desk. He didn't have much success though, his mind still refused to pay as much attention as he wanted it to.

"Cloud! Get in here!"

Cloud's head snapped up as Yuffie yelled at him. He jumped to his feet and ran into her office.

"He's here, I'll tell him," Yuffie said into the phone, hanging up. "Cloud, there's a problem."

"What, what happened!" he asked. Yuffie looked up at him.

"It's fine, calm down, she's gonna be alright, they said-"

"WHAT, what's happening!" Cloud shrieked, leaning towards her. "Is Aeris okay, what's going on?"

"She's fine, nothing's going on," Yuffie shrugged. "That was a dead line. I lied." Cloud's eyes bugged out.

"W…what?" he whispered.

"I lied, there's nothing wrong," Yuffie repeated. Cloud began to shake.

"Why would you do that!" he cried. "You nearly gave me a heart attack!"

"I wanted to see how you'd react. You were worried about Aeris."

"Well how did you expect me to react when you said Aeris was in trouble?"

"Cloud, stop and think about this for a second," Yuffie said slowly. Cloud forced himself to calm down. "I never said Aeris was in trouble. You did that yourself. And why is that, hm?"

"I…" Cloud licked his lips. "Well, I…my…"

"I think the words you're looking for are 'thanks for helping my head catch up with my heart'." Yuffie smirked. "Ya love her."

"I…yeah…I do," Cloud nodded slowly. "I love her…I love Aeris…" Cloud broke into a grin. "I love Aeris."

"No kidding," Yuffie smirked.

"How did you…?"

"I didn't, but I figured you'd blurt something out if I pulled that. You were wasting so much time and energy over-thinking what you'd do, I decided not to give you time to think about it at."

"Yeah…I gotta see her, I gotta tell her."

"Then your ass outta here!" Yuffie cried. Cloud spun around and rushed into his office, pulling on his coat from the back of his chair.

"STRIFE!"

Cloud's eyes went wide as Rufus flung open the door to his office.

"Mr. Shinra, this really isn't a good-"

"Shut the hell up Strife!" Rufus roared. "I'm down the hall talking to one of your more competent co-workers, and all I can hear is your mouth screaming! And what the hell are you doing putting your coat on, you're not going anywhere!" Rufus turned to the stack of papers on Cloud's desk and scowled. Cloud lowered his head, shaking.

"And you haven't done anything I told you too!" Rufus snapped, picking up the top paper. "I could get a better worker if I trained a monkey! Your work has been sliding downhill for months now, you finally decide to hit bottom? You're useless Strife, you know that? Lazy, unreliable and incompetent, you're the worst worker in the company. What do you have to say for yourself!" Rufus turned to glare at Cloud. The blond lifted his head and took a breath.

"Mr. Shinra…" Cloud muttered.

"What!"

"Go fuck yourself."

Rufus' eyes went wide, and he opened his mouth to reply. He didn't get a chance; Cloud drew back his hand and swung, punching Rufus in the jaw. Rufus' head snapped back, the force of the blow knocking him backwards into the wall. He hit with a grunt and fell to the side, landing on his back on the carpet with a thud. Rufus lay sprawled on the floor, and Cloud looked down at his still-clenched fist in shock.

"What was that?" Yuffie called from the next room.

"I just punched Rufus!" Cloud shrieked, dropping his hand.

"What!" Yuffie appeared at the doorway, and whistled. "Whoa, it's already discolored…nice shot."

"Yeah…did I kill him?" Cloud asked, suddenly out of breath. "He's not moving." Yuffie knelt down and felt Rufus' neck.

"He's alive yeah, but you definitely knocked him out."

"Dammit!" Cloud groaned.

"You want him awake so he can yell at you again?"

"No, I want him awake so I can do that again, that felt good! This is the best I remember feeling in years!" Cloud whooped. "I've wanted to do that for so long…"

"I think we all have," Yuffie nodded. "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"Right!" Cloud nodded, remembering. Yuffie cried out and ducked as Cloud jumped right over her kneeling form and ran down the hall. "Thanks Yuffie!" he called back. Yuffie looked down at Rufus and shrugged.

"Good thing he's planning to quit, because I think he just got fired."


	20. Chapter 20

**Here it is, the second-to-last chapter. I don't think anyone was quite expecting this, but this chapter takes one last-minute twist I'm sure will take you by surprise. I was a bit uncomfortable with the characterization here, but the main part of this story is Cloud and his actions, and to show this side of that I had to show the characters this way.**

New Love

Chapter 20

Cloud stared blankly at the pale brown door in front of him. He'd been staring at it for a minute now, memorizing the miniscule cracks and differences in coloring. He'd spent the entire car ride home and the elevator rides up and down trying to think of what to say, how to say it and what to do now saying it.

Oddly enough, everything he'd thought of now escaped him.

Cloud took a breath and lifted his hand. He hesitated for a moment, and knocked three times. He heard shuffling, and a few moments later he heard the lock slide back and the door was pulled open. Aeris looked up at him, her eyes widened slightly as she realized who it was. Cloud held her gaze and forced a small smile.

"Hi," he whispered.

"Come in," Aeris replied, stepping back. Cloud nodded and walked inside, Aeris closing the door behind them. Cloud crossed the living room to the sofa and sat down. Aeris stood behind the chair opposite him, staring at the floor.

"Don't you want to sit down?" Cloud asked.

"I'm fine," Aeris said. "Why are you here?"

"Right, right…" Cloud stuttered for a moment as he tried to think of what to say. "I know….this past week must have been hard…"

"No you don't," Aeris objected softly. "You just had to decide who you loved and wanted to be with. I've been sitting here every day, wondering what to do. Do you know how many times I wondered what you were doing, thinking? How many times I wanted to call the office just to hear you answer?"

"No…I don't know," Cloud said. "You're right, I've had it easy. All I've had to do is go a week without seeing either of the two women I love, wondering if they hate me and want nothing to do with me. And I can't blame them either, because I've already put them both through hell and at least one of them is going to get crushed when I tell her I don't want to be with her."

"So we're agreed, life this past week has official sucked," Aeris nodded. "That doesn't answer my question. Did you come here just to rub salt in the wounds?"

"Why are you doing this to me?" Cloud asked, growing angry. He'd come here to set things right, or try to at least. "Why are you trying to turn me into the bad guy? I came here to try and fix things!"

"Things can't be fixed with a few words, Cloud," Aeris said, turning around. "You have no idea the heartache you've caused me, and I'd imagine Tifa isn't doing any better."

"I know I made a few mistakes, I'm trying my best! I'm new to this is all!"

"New to what? Making decisions?"

"Trying to live my life the way I want it! And I want to live it with you!" Cloud cried.

"With me…" Aeris whispered.

"Yes." Cloud stood up and crossed the room, wrapping his arms around Aeris from behind. "Aeris…I love you, and I know I hurt you but please…I want to be with you, I want to make it, make everything right."

"There it is…" Aeris let out a bitter chuckle. "The way _you_ want it….that's what really matters isn't it?"

"Huh?" Aeris turned around in his grasp.

"You never thought about how we would feel, did you? You spend an entire week deciding who you want to love? Did you ever consider what we were going through? I got a phone call earlier this week, someone you may know? Professor Highwind?"

"Cid?" Cloud whispered, confused. "Why would he call?"

"He wanted to know if it was true we slept together. And we got talking, and I found out a few things…that's when I called Tifa."

"What!" Cloud shrieked. "You and….why? You guys were going behind my back talking to each other?"

"Yeah, and you know what we found out?" Aeris asked angrily, pulling away. "You asked Cid for help, you asked your mother for help, you asked everyone on what to do with your problem! Did you ever consult Tifa? Did it ever cross your mind to admit to your girlfriend you were attracted to someone else? Or me? Why couldn't you have come clean to us instead of just letting lust build up until something happened?"

"I…I…" Cloud stammered to try and think up a reply, but he was drawing a blank. "I don't know."

"You confided in everyone close to you, tried to burden them with your problems, and then you cheat on your girlfriend, make me fall for you, and put us both through a week of heartache!" Aeris accused. "You know Tifa would do anything for you. You had a great job, loyal friends, a beautiful girlfriend….and you threw it all away because you didn't like it. This whole ordeal Cloud, start to finish, has been about you…you've been so selfish."

"I have not!" Cloud protested.

"Yes you have. You bring everyone else in on your problems, try to make them make your decisions for you because you don't want to handle it. And then when you do make a decision at last, you make everyone else suffer for it. Why? Why did you do this? You've made yourself the star on your own personal drama and gave everyone a front-row ticket."

"Please Aeris, don't do this!" Cloud reached for Aeris, and she backed away. "I know, I screwed up, it's been going through my mind every day ever since I realized what was happening with us! But I'm trying to deal with it."

"No you haven't. You've been trying to put off dealing with it. You had a problem and you didn't try to fix it, you made sure everyone else knew about it and then you just sat back and let it get worse. You ran, Cloud. You got into something you couldn't handle and you tried to run and leave your friends to deal with it."

"Stop trying to make this my fault!"

"Your attraction, your kiss, your girlfriend, your friends. Your decisions, your mess. Tell me Cloud, if you're not at fault, who is?"

"Aeris…I know," Cloud said.

"You keep saying that, but you don't mean it. Everyone who cared about you, you brought them all into a problem that wasn't theirs and let it get worse. You've ruined the lives of everyone around you, just because you had the perfect life and didn't want it."

"Then help me!" Cloud pleaded. "Help me make it right then! Aeris, please, just tell me what to do to fix it!" Aeris lowered his head and turned her back to Cloud.

"Get out…" she whispered.

"What?" Cloud said.

"Leave…I don't want you here anymore…" Aeris repeated.

"Aeris…I love you," Cloud tried one last time to reach her. Aeris turned her head and opened watery eyes.

"But I don't love you," she lied.

* * *

The door behind Cloud slowly closed as he stepped inside the hall of his apartment. He had been all but forced out of Aeris' apartment, trying, begging to for her to give him a chance. She had refused him, screamed at him. The apartment keys in Cloud's hand fell to the carpet below, and he tilted his head back and screamed. The roar of rage reverberated around the darkened, empty apartment as Cloud let it out. The anger, the heartache, the frustration, the sadness, everything. When he finished, he felt depleted…everything was gone…everything…Cloud took a breath, and spun around and slammed his fist into the mirror hanging on the wall.

Glass tinkled on the carpet below, the mirror cracked to the edge from the force of Cloud's blow. He breathed heavily, and withdrew his hand, looking down in detached curiosity at the blood running along his fingers and knuckles. He relished the pain, it gave him something to hold on to. Cloud clenched his eyes and let out another cry, marching into the apartment. He stumbled to his knees and fell forward, his hands hitting the wood floor to catch his momentum. Cloud's breath became shaky, and he clenched his eyes shut.

"I'm sorry…" he whispered, tears leaking down his cheeks. A few fell on his hand, running along the cuts from the mirror. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry!" he screamed, burying his heads in his hands. "I'm sorry…" the final apology came in a whimper. The apartment fell silent save for a few ragged breaths and sniff. Cloud lifted his head and locked puffy blue eyes on the first thing he saw: a picture of him and Tifa on the TV. Cloud clenched his teeth and let out an anguished cry, climbing to his feet and stumbling to the picture, grabbing at it with now-wet hands.

"I'm sorry Tifa…Aeris…everyone…I didn't want this! It wasn't supposed to go like this…"

Cloud set the picture down and took a step back, looking around the apartment. Everyone, something reminded him of someone…his diploma on the wall, the pink flowers in the vase on the table, the clock hanging above the sofa…and the pictures, of him with almost everyone…everyone he had dragged into his life. Cloud fell to his knees again and closed his eyes.

"Aeris hates me…my relationship with Tifa is ruined…my friends hate me. I've lost my job, my apartment, my friends…" he whispered. "Now what? What do I do now? I lost everything, someone tell me what I do now! What do I have left here?" Even as Cloud spoke, he realized his answer.

Nothing…there was nothing left. He'd lost everything…Aeris was right. He'd had a great life, and threw it away. Cloud sniffed and climbed to his feet. He ran into the bedroom, looking with a quivering expression at the room, and pulled open the closet door. He pushed aside a few of Tifa's dresses and found what he was looking for.

* * *

"What are you doing?"

Cloud stilled at the sound of Yuffie's voice. He stopped piling his clothes into the suitcase on the chair in front of him and let out a long breath.

"What are you doing here?" he replied.

"Aeris called the work, said you had come to see her and left. So what's up?" Yuffie explained. Cloud resumed packing without turning.

"I'm leaving," he said. Yuffie's brow furrowed.

"Where are you going?" she asked, concerned.

"I don't know…but why stay here?" he asked bitterly. "There's nothing left in Midgar for me Yuffie. Why bother staying?"

"So you can live your life!" Yuffie cried. "Cloud, do you get this? You're just going to leave? What about all your friends? And Aeris and Tifa, what about them?"

"They hate me," Cloud said. "Stay here, so I can survey the ruins of my life and be surrounded by people who hate me? No thanks…I wrecked my life here, I'll start over…somewhere else. I destroyed my life, fine. I'll create a new one."

"You're unbelievable…" Yuffie muttered. "You're running…you're taking the easy way out, that's what it is. You can't handle things so you're leaving. I pegged you for a lot of things, Cloud…but not a coward."

"Yeah," Cloud agreed. "I'm a coward, I admit it…I've learned a lot about myself the last couple of weeks." Cloud slammed the suitcase shut. "I guess I'm a wimp too."

"You're not," Yuffie shook her head. "You're one of the strongest guys I know. You've endured a lot of shit most other people would have crumpled from."

"Yeah, well…I can't endure the two women I love hating me," Cloud replied, picking up the suitcase. He walked towards the doorway, and Yuffie glared at him as he stopped in front of her.

"You are such a selfish bastard," she growled, shaking her head.

"I've heard that before today," Cloud said, continuing on. Yuffie turned her head to watch as Cloud walked towards the door of the apartment, and stopped. "Tell them…tell them I'm sorry," he called back.

"If you were really sorry, you'd stay and tell them yourself," Yuffie replied. Cloud was silent for a moment, then reached out and turned the doorknob, pulling the door open. He reached down to pick up the suitcase he'd filled from his apartment, and walked into the hall.

_"I am sorry, Yuffie, everyone…I can't face you all, not yet…I can't expect you guys to forgive me…not until I figure out how to forgive myself. For that…"_

Yuffie kept watching his back move further away until the door slammed shut.

It was the last time any of Cloud's friends would see him for over two years.

**I'm sure none of you quite expected that, did you?**

**Next time, the finale, the last chapter! Don't miss it!**


	21. Epilogue

**Ah, well dear readers, it's been a long trip in this, my first full-length Final Fantasy fic. I've got a slightly longer chapter to wrap it up, complete with a reunion and a final twist to spice things up! Enjoy the final chapter!**

New Love

Epilogue

"Another scotch on the rocks, er…." The drunk businessman squinted at the name tag. "Tommy, another scotch." Behind the hotel bar, the barkeep rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Mr. Monroe, this is your fourth one tonight. And my name is Thomas, not Tommy," Cloud said dryly. "Haven't you had enough?"

"Hey, look kid!" Mr. Monroe snapped, holding a shaking hand up and pointing at him. "I'm the customer, you're the server, and I'll tell you when I've had enough."

"Fine," Cloud muttered, turning and grabbing the bottle of scotch from the counter behind him. He grabbed a glass and poured the drink. "Five hundred gil, same as before," he muttered, placing the glass on the counter. Mr. Monroe grinned and slapped a gil note on the counter, grabbing his drink and walking away. Cloud picked up the note and pursed his lip. The drunk had given him a thousand.

"Nice tip," Cloud shrugged, heading to the register. He opened it and slipped the note in with the others.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen of the Little Nirvana Hotel…" Cloud looked up as the man on the stage in the lounge swept his arm behind him, the curtain rising to reveal a woman sitting as a piano. "For your enjoyment tonight, the lovely Miss Julia." The people in the lounge clapped as the woman began playing, the announcer walking off-stage. Cloud sighed. When he'd first start working at the hotel, Julia's playing had been heavenly. Now after listening to her play every other night for more than a year, he was sick of her.

_"More than a year…time sure passes quick," _Cloud thought, turning his head to look at the minifridge behind the bar. Only two bottles of water left. He sighed and leaned down to the cupboard underneath, pulling out a case of water bottles and began sliding them into the fridge. Barkeeping wasn't a glamorous job, but it was a step up from where he'd started, as a bellhop. If he graded on a curve though, he was still well underneath where he'd been two years ago…

Cloud tried not to think back on the life he'd run from. It didn't work, his thoughts always strayed back. He'd gotten regular emails from his friends in Midgar, at least he had when he'd gone to the internet café a few months after arriving in Mideel. He didn't have a computer anymore, even if he wanted to reply to them he couldn't. Cloud would be lying if he said he had no regrets about what he'd done. He had enough of them he could sell them and still have plenty left over to make himself feel like crap. He kept wondering how everyone back in Midgar was doing, kept wondering if and when he should head home.

_"Yeah, that would go over well," _Cloud thought, scowling. _"Hi everyone, remember me? The guy who walked out on all of you? No thanks." _He sighed and turned his attention back to refilling the minifridge.

"Excuse me, sir?" Cloud nodded slightly to let the woman at the counter know he'd heard. "Can I have a bottle of water please?" the woman asked. Cloud nodded and pulled out one of the two colder bottles.

"Certainly miss," he said, turning. "That'll be two-hundred fifty…." Cloud trailed off as he turned around and saw who was sitting at the bar. The woman was currently opening her purse, and grabbed a bill before she lifted her head. They locked eyes, and the women similarly froze. Cloud stared dumbly as the woman licked her lips.

"C…Cloud?" she whispered. Cloud came to his senses hearing his name, and nodded.

"Hi Aeris," he replied, setting the bottle of water on the counter. He took another discreet look at Aeris. She looked different, a lot different. He hair hung loose half-way down her back, shorter than he remembered, and she had on a red shawl over a white blouse. Her face looked different too. He imagined he looked different two, his hair was a little shorter and a little spikier, and he had on the black and gold uniform of the hotel staff.

"I don't believe it…" Aeris whispered, still staring. "Cloud, what are you doing here?"

"I work here, and my name is Thomas," Cloud said, tapping his nametag. "Is that everything?"

"I…that's it?" Aeris said. "That's all you have to say to me? 'Is that everything'? How about 'nice to see you'?"

"Nice to see you," Cloud shrugged. Aeris gave him a sour look. Inwardly, Cloud wasn't sure what to do. Part of him wanted her to just leave so he could continue to try to put her and other aspects of his past from his mind. The other part wanted to pull her over the bar and kiss her. Cloud decided to ignore both of them. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

"I came here to meet with a client yesterday, business meeting," Aeris said.

"I'll assume you got a different position at Shinra then?"

"Yeah; yours," Aeris said, half-smiling. "They gave me your job a few months after you left when they noticed I knew more about your job than your replacement did."

"Good for you," Cloud nodded. Aeris bit her lip and lowered her eyes.

"Can we talk?" she whispered. "In private, I mean. There's a lot you have to hear, and a lot I want to know."

"I'm working, my shift ends at midnight," Cloud replied. "If you want to talk, do it here," Aeris sighed and opened her mouth.

"Yo, barkeep!" Cloud and Aeris turned to see a man with two friends waving to him at the end of the bar.

"That's my cue. Duty calls, sorry," Cloud said, looking back at Aeris. Aeris thought for a moment, then reached back into her purse and pulled out a pen.

"Please," she said, writing on a napkin on the counter. "Come see me." She slid the napkin over the counter, and Cloud took it after a moment.

"I'll think about it," he said, walking to the end of the bar. He looked back as he reached the men. Aeris had already left.

* * *

Cloud looked up silently at the numbers on the hotel door, remembering another moment vaguely similar to this one. He lifted a hand to knock, and got two taps before the door swung open. Aeris stood inside, her shawl gone leaving her in her blouse and a crimson skirt.

"I was worried you wouldn't come," she whispered. Cloud ducked his head and walked inside.

"Well, I was a bit worried," he muttered as Aeris closed the door behind him. "I remember what happened the last time I knocked on your door to talk to you." He turned as Aeris clenched her eyes shut.

"Can we please not talk about that right yet?" she asked. Cloud shrugged and sat down on the foot of the bed.

"Alright, you suggest a topic," he replied. Aeris paced aimless for a moment.

"How about we start with you explaining where you've been the last two years," she answered. Cloud shrugged and held out his hands.

"I've been here. Caught the first plane I saw leaving, it happened to go here. I worked from odd job to odd job for a bit as 'Thomas Ark', until I got a job here as a bellhop. Worked hard, was loyal, got my liquor license about five months ago, became a bartender. I got an apartment a few blocks away, it's not glamorous but neither is my pay."

"Any friends?" Aeris asked.

"I keep to myself, the only people who know me here know me as Thomas or 'Tommy', I don't want them to find out."

"You sound lonely is all," Aeris explained. Cloud flinched slightly as Aeris hit that one point he'd tried to glaze over.

"It's not much, but it's mine. I started over and worked on my own drive and my own desires. I can't honestly say the same about my old life." Cloud lowered his eyes. "How is everyone?" he asked quietly.

"They're good…Barret is in a motel now, he and Mirna are going through a rough patch. Cid's still at the university, not much there. I'm still at Shinra, like I said, working at your old place. Yuffie decided to come back, she's my secretary now. I moved in with my mom, needed…" Aeris hesitated for a moment. "Needed a change of pace."

"Sounds like everyone is doing well," Cloud said, not noting Aeris' hesitation. "What about Tifa?"

"Tifa, she's…she moved out of your apartment a few months after you left. We all helped her pack. She said there were too many memories there. She lives in a new place now, she co-owns Zangan's dojo too. She hosted a citywide tournament last month there. She's trying to get back into a relationship, but she hasn't met anyone yet."

"You still talk to her then?"

"Well we're not exactly BFF, but yeah, we see each other. We kinda sympathize with each other," Aeris said. She let out a cry of frustration as she realized what she'd said. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean…"

"Sure you did," Cloud muttered, standing up. "Well, nice catching up, good night." He walked towards the door and grabbed the knob, and stopped as Aeris grabbed his free hand.

"Cloud, please," she whispered. "Come home. We miss you."

"Sure you do," Cloud said.

"We do! Do you think we've spent the last two years hating you! We all hurt when you left but we're over it now, all of us. We just want you back."

"That's it?" Cloud snorted. "That's the big secret you had to tell me, that you guys want me to come home? Sorry Aeris, but I left that behind. I have a new life now, and it's not exactly a storybook fairytale, but it's mine. This is who I am now."

"No it's not. You're not Thomas…whatever you call yourself! You're Cloud Strife!" Aeris shouted. "And maybe you've forgotten who you really are, but we haven't! I haven't."

"Get over me, it was a stupid office fling," Cloud growled. "Forget about it."

"I can't forget about it! I'm reminded of you every day, every time I…" Aeris stopped herself, and Cloud frowned and turned.

"Every time…what?" he asked suspiciously. Aeris sighed and walked to her purse on the nightstand behind the bed.

"_This,_ is why I wanted to talk to you," she said, reaching into her purse. "You want to leave behind your friends and me? Fine. What about her?" Aeris turned and held out her hand. Cloud reached out and took her offering, looking down at it in confusion. It was a little girl in a small pink jumper, asleep on a blanket. Her eyes were closed but her hair was light brown, almost pink in the photo's lighting. Cloud peered at the photo curiously. The girl looked familiar…

"Cute kid, who is she?" Cloud asked. Aeris took a breath.

"She's our daughter," she said simply. Cloud froze, his fingers snapping open and the picture fluttering to the floor.

"She…she's…huh?" he asked dumbly, looking up at Aeris. Aeris reached down and picked up the picture.

"She's our daughter. Yours and mine," she repeated.

"But, we…she can't…it was one time!" Cloud protested.

"Once is all it takes, Cloud. I've gone over the math a million times, she's either five months late, or she's yours. Her birthday was a few months ago. Besides, math aside…" Aeris smiled softly as she looked down at the photo. "She has your eyes. Everyone who's seen her says she looks just like you. Even your mom." Cloud collapsed into a chair by the wall staring at the floor. So that's why she looked familiar…

"Wha…what's her name?" he asked. Aeris sighed and looked up at the ceiling.

"The first night I brought her home, there was a thunderstorm…I was always a bit afraid of lightning. I was feeding her in my room, and every time there was a lightning bolt outside, I jumped. She never did, not once. I dropped the bottle at one bolt, but she never cried or stopped feeding, she wasn't afraid of the storm at all…" Aeris lowered her eyes. "Her name's Lightning."

"Lightning…" Cloud whispered. "Skye, Cloud…continuing the tradition I guess. That why you moved in with Elmyra?"

"Yeah. I had to either give up my job, or my baby. I decided to try and juggle both."

"And?"

"And, I'm doing it, barely. But it's hard, when I have to leave her for things like this. She's getting to the age where she can talk, and she has a lot of questions about where I go and why I don't want to answer."

"Does she know about me?" Cloud asked.

"She knows that somewhere, she has a father that loves her, even if he can't be there to tell her…that's what I've told her. I wish I believed that myself." Cloud looked up and locked eyes with Aeris. "Cloud, if you won't come home for me, for your friends…come home for her. I don't care about what happened in the past, I care about now. I want you to come back with me, Cloud."

"Me? Why would you want me around?" Cloud snapped, standing up. "You think you can just guilt me into coming back! Just spring all this on me to get me to follow you home? I have a new life, a new identity, a new home. You can't just expect me to do a reversal on this after everything!"

"I didn't come here to guilt you into anything," Aeris said softly. "I came to let you know what you have waiting back home. _Who_ you have waiting."

"I. Don't. Care," Cloud grated, walking to the door.

"Alright then, thanks for listening. If you've no intention of coming back with me, then leave."

"Fine," Cloud grabbed the door handle and turned his back to her.

"One question, before you go," Aeris said. Cloud waited for her to continue. "Do you still love me?" Aeris asked. Cloud closed his eyes.

"I've thought about you every damn day since I left…" he said. He stood there silently, until he felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Aeris looking up at him. She held his gaze for a moment, then leaned up and kissed him. Cloud savored the familiar sweetness for a moment, before she pulled back.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"Correcting a mistake," Aeris whispered. "I never should have let you leave that apartment."

"You said you didn't love me."

"I lied, idiot."

"Oh." Cloud grabbed Aeris' hips and pulled her back into another kiss. Aeris' arm curled around Cloud's neck as he held her against him. After several moments, Aeris pulled back, resting her forehead against his, panting.

"Do you want to leave?" she asked. "Or do you want to finish that kiss?"

"That's it?" Cloud chuckled. "Guilt doesn't work, so you try to lure me back with sex?"

"Is it working?"

"…a little bit." Aeris let out a laugh, and Cloud joined in.

"This isn't about guilt or sex, Cloud. It's about you coming home. You have a family waiting for you at home. All of us, a family together. And friends, who have wondered what's happened to you and want you to come back. You belong with us, Cloud…please, I won't ask again…come home with me." Cloud was silent for a moment.

"How long are you here?" he asked.

"My round-trip ticket is scheduled for tomorrow, but I can afford to change it."

"Do it then…I can't let my boss know the same day I leave."

"Then…" Aeris' face lit up.

"Just, gimme a couple a days. Gotta pack and all that," Cloud said sheepishly. "But…yeah…yeah. I wanna go home…with you." Aeris felt tears begin to slide down her cheeks, and she smiled.

"No problem…I'll help you pack," she laughed.

"Yeah, and…I want to know more, about Lightning. If I'm gonna be a father I don't want to meet my daughter blind."

"Of course! There's a lot of stories about her, and I've got more pictures," Aeris said, turning away. Cloud grabbed her should and stopped her, turning her back around.

"Later," Cloud whispered. "Right now, I want to finish that kiss." He pulled Aeris towards him once more for one more kiss, sealing Cloud's vow in their meeting.

_fin_


End file.
